Chasing the Shadow of Revolution
by Mr.Atlas
Summary: Driven by hate of the royal family, a lone stalker seeks out the power of the most feared guild in all of Rune Midgard's past. How will he fair against the might of King Tristram and his royal army?
1. Chapter 1

Chasing the Shadows of Revolution

Written by Roderick D. "Atlas" Lynch II

Chapter 1: Footprints of a Shadow

Usually the summer nights in Prontera are pretty warm, but this night, of all nights, was extremely frigid. The city guards that patrolled the streets packed it in early in response to the sudden temperature change and without their vigilant eyes, the more unruly citizens were free to move about in the recesses of the stone walk ways and cracks of the buildings. One in particular happened to be on the bottom rung of society.

Just near the outskirts of the city, the shroud of darkness was torn by a single building's illumination. From inside one of the best medics in the world; Doctor Morrix, examined a woman on the table. Across from them sat a nervous looking fellow who obviously had no etiquette at all as his posture and clothing suggested. He was one of society's bottom feeders, a thin, black haired stalker with little to work with in his life.

"So… How's it look doc?" The stalker spoke, breaking the tense silence of the room as his knee bounced up and down.

"No no no, not good at all Sho. It has spread too far into her body. There's nothing I can do now." The doctor spoke while turning to Sho, his hands being placed in the pockets of his white coat.

"You told me to bring the money! I made enough finally and now I need you to help her!" Sho roared out as he jumped from his seat with fist balled and all intention to do harm if his demands weren't met.

The woman on the table reached out and touched Sho, her palms icy and yet wet from sweat.

"P-please Sho, don't…cause any problems. Let's….Just go ho…-"She tried to push, but her life was cut as short as her words were at that moment.

Sho's eyes opened wide with more emotion than his mind and heart could take. Almost instantly he broke down onto the floor, knowing that all of his actions were for nothing. His fist pummeled the ground until the warm crimson leaked from his knuckles and onto the floor.

"S-Sonia….Shit! Shit! Shit!" Was all he could muster from his vocabulary.

Sho lunged up, grabbing the doctor while pulling a rather sharp blade from his pocket and pressing it against his neck in seemingly one fluid motion.

"You should have helped her! You had time months ago! Now she's dead, why, Because of some fucking zeny!?" He yelled out while pushing the doctor and throwing a large bag of zeny at the doctor's face, breaking his glasses and opening his face.

The doctor crawled across the floor, tipping the lantern over in his frantic state. He reached for the door and just barely made his way out into the streets where he ran to an open area and began to call out.

"Help! Guards! Guards!" He shrieked while looking behind him for Sho.

There was silence until the wind blew across the open areas of the city, creating an eerie tone in the air. The doctor could have sworn he felt a breath on his neck, but chalked it up to the wind. His heart raced as he waited for the guards to arrive. His nerves on end and his hands uncontrollable, he fell onto his butt and pressed against a crate for his own false sense of security.

Thinking he heard the sounds of armor clanging in the distance, he noticed foot prints on the ground showing up ever so faintly. With even more panic he reached around his form, searching desperately for something.

"Oh god no, where is it!?" He yelled to himself as he pulled an indigo clip from his back pocket and clamped it onto his white coat which was now covered in dirt. "Sight!!"

His words almost seemed to echo in the carrying wind as a flash of ethereal light surrounded his body. He looked around but found nothing at all, not even the slightest hint of another being. He crawled forward, each movement feeling like an eternity to him while he watched around his body. Up ahead of the doctor were two Crusaders and a Royal Guard, each armed with a spear and shield. With a sigh of relief, a smile and a ghostly color on his face, he tried to run forward but couldn't move.

As he looked down, he noticed a dark red aura around him and a steamy breath near him. His eyes widened when a faint voice spoke to him.

"I…will…come back…" The words fell out and burned themselves into the doctor's mind as he was set free, causing him to stumble onto the ground in front of the grand pecos and the gryphon.

The Royal guard looked down at the doctor, but his attention was quickly moved to the sight of smoke coming from the clinic. With a quick dismount, he quickly trotted across the area and into the now burning building to pull the dead woman's body free of the flame's grasp. The guard sat her down and lifted his hand to the sky before closing his eyes.

"O King of the arctic, frost be thy nature. I call forth your hyperborean touch!" His words resonated throughout the area as a ring of light encircled his feet and released more icy air around them, causing ice to form around the ground and on the surrounding buildings.

From windows, doors and the streets, heads began to peek out at the night disturbance. Most of them just walked back into their warm homes, denying their curiosity in regards to the cold. Others fought against the biting edge of the cold to watch. The sky tore open in that instant, releasing a blinding light that collided with the flaming building. The area was covered in a thick blanket of ice without delay as the flames died down inside.

"All of my work….lost because of some smug Stalker…" The doctor muttered without realizing it.

One of the crusaders turned to him and helped him up.

"Stalker you say? Tell me who this person is and we will seek them out." He assured.

"Shodelth Sekirin…Also known as Sho Seki. He came to me months ago for treatment for this woman. Unfortunately… he um… couldn't afford the bill so I turned him down. He said he'd return and pay it with great haste, but when he arrived tonight, it was already too late. She was too far into her condition for any medicine I could have provided. He went crazy and in my panic, the lantern fell and the end result of my clinic is the way you see it now." Morrix explained.

"………Sho……Seki? That is no name registered here. I know the name of every citizen; he must be from one of the neighboring cities…Probably Morroc or Payon." The royal guard said as he jumped atop his Gryphon. "I suggest you head home doctor. There is nothing for you to do at the moment."

One of the crusaders grabbed the woman and placed her on the back of his peco before taking his leave with this superior. The people all returned to their homes, the cold too much to take even for summer heat relief. Just as the last door closed, the doctor stood, but remained still. He spotted footprints heading towards the south exit and multiple puffs of steam with every step. He could only panic and run in the opposite direction, hoping Sho would leave him alone for the time being.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Rotating the gear

As morning rolled in from across Mt. Mjolnir, the vendors in Prontera began to set up shop, bring out new merchandise and set prices for the day. Just about every stall had at least two people outside speaking about the incident of last night. Word spread around almost like a virus, the children even knew of the flames that broke out at the clinic, the royal guard's summoning and the accused stalker that got away. There wasn't a person in the streets who wasn't talking about it.

Inside Hollegren's shop, the sound of hammer being introduced to iron was halted for a moment as the grand smith, Hollegren, himself stared at the man who had just entered from his back room. He wiped the sweat from his face with a dingy rag and stepped to the counter with a greeting smile.

"What can I do ya for stranger?" He asked, his arms crossing his chest in a neat fold.

In front of him was a man who was clearly from Amatsu based on his garb. He sported two katana at his waist and geta under his bandaged feet.

"My name is Jinzo Ootori. I was called for by your king in response to a disturbance regarding the stalker. Could you be so kind as to tell me where I can find your king?" The man asked in the most polite tone with hints of his accent.

Hollegren listened and nodded his head while heading across from the counter. He took Jinzo outside, careful to avoid the small troupe of kids playing outside of his shop. Out by the center of the city, he pointed to the castle at the end of the road. With his thanks, Jinzo took his leave, making his way towards the towering castle. Hollegren was one to keep to his own business so without questioning the exact happenings of last night, he headed back into his shop to begin again his toil.

Inside the pristine castle stood many a knight with armor bearing the royal seal. Each one of them were lined up with arm to chest in a salute to the three people ahead of them. One of the men was a Rune knight with short blonde hair, piercing gray eyes and a posture so straight, it made diamond look fragile; Sir Alterin Fordmet XI, the other a Royal Guard with slicked back white hair, black and gentle eyes and a large frame built for taking hits; Seban Di Orland and finally a small framed Ranger with dirty blonde hair, rough facial features with accompanying stubble and black paint under his eyes; Wolfe Advocat. While waiting outside of the large branded double doors, each one made sure to pass the wall of sight formed by two of the guardsmen to ensure no one other than them entered the building.

The doors opened slowly as King Tristram III, his son; Alan Tristram IV and his daughter; Elena Tristram, stepped from the large room with their royal outfits on. The two children stepped to the side and allowed their father to speak.

"I welcome you my knights and you as well Wolfe of the Hounds. I surely trust that your trips here were smooth and swift." He spoke with an elegant tone, not a bit of defect in his voice.

Wolfe smirked and folded his arms, the dozens of belts around his waist making noise as he did so.

"Eh, the airship rides made sleeping a chore, but hell, as long as I get to come here and do some hunting, I can let that slide. Right 'Tin man'?" He asked, referring to the Royal guard.

Seban did not respond he only kept his attention to the king as his code dictated him to do so.

"That will be enough Wolfe, you may be from Einbech, but please know that we here will not tolerate any rambunctious behavior, is that understood?" The king said as he entered the room while summoning the others in.

Wolfe only snickered and followed behind while the other two quickly followed behind, their armors clanging with each step. Inside they noted the circular table which already had occupants at the seats. Sitting before the new arrivals were other members that the king called, a short bio chemist who had one too many bottles of potion attached to the inside of his coat, gorgeous twin sisters who were sorceresses, a dark skinned warlock who's eyes gave a mild blue glow and a female rune knight who had the longest hair in the room. They each stood and began introductions to the few who joined in.

"Edgar Mercer, Leader of the Alchemist guild of Al De Baran. Pleasures all mine gentlemen." The Bio Chemist spoke.

"Hee hee! I'm Lina and this is Terra. We both represent the magic lineage of Geffen!" The first twin spoke, her sister obviously more poised and controlled as she only nodded and gave a half hi.

The warlock waved his hands in the air as ether began to spill from his fingers and form words in the air. 'My name is Cortez, Also from the magic lineage. As part of my current mission, I am not allowed to speak so I do hope my ether letter spell will be sufficient. I hope we will work well together.' It read with glowing blue words that fizzled away into white and blue sparks.

The rune knight saluted and stood to attention before taking a breath.

"I am captain of Izlude's Knight Division; Sir Alverk Orin of Izlude. It is my pleasure and honor to work with other members of the royal army. I hope my skills with at least be of equal to yours sirs." She humbly spoke to her two superiors who entered.

The king took his seat and offered the remaining to the three who entered late. As they all sat, his children exited the room and released a sigh of relief.

"Goodness, father certainly knows how to pick them. They all had that….that aura about them. It was almost as though I couldn't breathe, their power was so overwhelming." Elena spoke with light breaths while wiping her forehead.

"I know what you mean. There is especially something about Wolfe….He smells of blood and I'm fairly certain he won't follow anyone's rules once his target is in sight. We'd best keep a lookout for any trouble from him." Alan cautiously said while heading up to the living quarters door and opening it for his sister. "It's best we let father handle this though…I think he knows best. Though I wonder if all of this is really needed for one stalker…"

Back in the room the king had already introduced Wolfe, Alterin and Seban to the others. With intros done and over it was immediately time for business. Just as the king opened his mouth, the doors opened and Jinzo stepped inside with a formal bow.

"Please forgive my tardiness. I was unaware of my destination, but your local smith has directed me." Jinzo spoke.

"Very well Jinzo, please take a seat, I was just getting to the reason I called you all here." The king spoke while waiting on Jinzo to sit.

"As you all know, there was a disturbance last night regarding a stalker. I called you all here to locate that man. He goes by the name of Shodelth Sekirin or better known as Sho Seki in the streets and as far as we know he has a way to move undetected around the kingdom. Last night he caused a disturbance at the clinic which led to its burning down. My guards arrived on scene, but there was no trace of him. The doctor who was present when Sho arrived informed us that Sho had fled, but not before leaving a cryptic message. We must be on –"

"Whoa, hold it there mate! You mean to tell me that you called us all out here for a fuckin' stalker, a lowly insect on the ass of society? You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Wolfe blurted out in disrespect.

Alverk stood, drawing her flamberge to Wolfe's face.

"You will watch your tone when you address the king, mongrel! Understood?" She shouted with authority.

Wolfe looked at the blade and with a shrug and smirk, he nodded.

"Yes mommy, forgive me. Hehehe."

"Wolfe, I must warn you. I know well enough of your reputation, but I assure you that my knights are more than enough to deal with you should you decide to act alone. Understand this and there should be no problems. Now… As I was saying. We must be on high alert of Sho because of the reason he was here. Months ago he brought a sick woman into the city looking for treatment for her. It was confirmed by doctor Morrix that she had a strain of argenfatum, type two. This is a disease that our records confirm to only found in the ancient tombs of the Advents, a guild of olden days who wreaked havoc among the masses years ago."

Terra's eyes opened wide, she recalled reading many a book about The Advents. The stories she heard often kept her awake at night. She almost couldn't believe she was hearing it again.

"S-so you're telling us that…They must have found the tomb?" She asked with worry in her voice.

"And? What's so bad about a stupid tomb?" Wolfe added.

"When my forefathers buried The Advents, they locked away every secret they ever had with them. The shady dealings that occurred with clans and guilds of the past, their secret techniques, even whereabouts of their family members, all of it was buried along with them. We've encountered people who have found the tomb before, but that strain has taken their lives before the location was divulged. If Sho knows where it is and has somehow found a way into it, he could unleash what was sealed and locked away for generations." The king finished with his head low, and his hands crossed in prayer fashion.

Cortez raised his hand and began to write once more. "And the girl? Who was she?"

The king grew silent for a moment before taking a breath and releasing it slowly.

"She was my niece, Sonia. She ran away with Sho years ago and has been invisible until months ago when they sought out aid. We believe she's the reason he even knows of the tombs and any other information she could have divulged. We sent her body to be disposed of in case Sho decided to return for her brain." Tristram added on.

"The brain? What for?" Alverk added.

Lina put her finger to her lip and looked up.

"Well~ if I recall right, he could use a soul linker to dig into her mind and look at any information she's ever remembered. Not only that, but he could transfer her mind into someone else and it'd be her new body, but of course it'd have to be an almost exact body for her to transfer properly." She explained.

Alverk nodded with an amazed look on her face. This was beginning to be too much for the ambitious knight who only knew life as simple chivalry. She sat back in the seat and began to process the information, hoping to remain caught up with the rest of the group.

"Then why didn't the loony bastard just swap her out before she died?" Wolfe asked with his shoulders rising in confusion.

"Well again, the body would have to be almost the same not to mention it takes a long time for the process to begin. On top of that, Soul linkers are usually skeptical about using the technique and any that will agree to do so will charge by the airship. So it was probably faster and cheaper to try to get her cured." Edgar answered while taking a pipe from his coat and placing it in his mouth.

"And now the broads dead, sounds like the poor twit got the shit end of that deal right mates?" Wolfe continued and ended with a laugh.

The King stood and sighed. His old hands pressed on the table while he looked at them all.

"At this time, our mission is simply to locate Sho. We have no leads but I'm hoping that each of you will utilize your connections with other places in the world. Surely with our combined sources, we can locate this problem. Once he is found, we will deal with him accordingly. "His royal words filling most of them with the rallying spirit.

The king's new squad stood and nodded to the king, all but Wolfe showing respect. They stood by the door in a circle and awaited the orders of the king.

"Search, that is the only thing I can command until more is known of the situation. It is nearly impossible for him to have gone too far, so I'm hoping for swift news. If he is located you will report to either Seban or Alterin first. Do not engage him under any circumstances. Understood?" His words leaving his body with commanding presence.

They all acknowledged the order and exited from the room. Each one headed to different parts of the castle since the King offered a place to stay while they were away from their hometowns. Wolfe entered his room and took a small box with an antenna from his belt. He placed it on the vanity near the window and folded his arms.

"Got all that?" He asked the box.

-Zzzzzt- "On it sir…" –click- The box went as Wolfe gave a foreboding grin while looking outside at the city and its citizens.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: H.O.U.N.D.S

Even though the sun was just beginning to rise in Morroc, the heat was already in the 90's. The dry desert air only served to draw moisture from its inhabitants like no other. The traders outside kept their headgear soaked in cool water from their reserves to keep as far away from heat stroke as possible, but even then, it was still a constant task to retain hydration.

The social workings of Morroc were unlike any other that existed in all of Rune Midgard. Thieves, Assassins and the most low down and dirty citizens you could ever hope to find were connected into Morroc some way. The homes were broken and torn by past events and were never bothered to be fixed. In one of the torn homes was a pair of eyes that peered out into the sandy roads, eyes that were filled with insurmountable rage and sadness.

"So then Sho, how long will you be staying this time?" An elderly woman asked the stalker while pouring a piping hot cup of tea in a broken cup.

"Not for long Dalda, I just need to get my thoughts in order. I'll be out of your hair for good this time." He said, his voice almost trembling with anger.

From outside a child ran in with a crumpled and dirty piece of paper. She ran to the elderly woman and jumped up and down in front of her.

"Grandma! Grandma! The Prontera Summer Festival is coming this weekend! Can we go!? Huh!? Can we?!" The excited tike asked over and over.

With a warm smile, Dalda nodded and took a sip of her tea while pressing her hand against the girl's head.

Sho stood from his position near the window and headed outside. More angered filled his mind as he remembered the date he had planned for the summer festival. His fist clenched hard while his footsteps were muffled in the sand. Without saying a word, he made a promise to himself that he'd find the doctor who denied his love's treatment for mere zeny.

Further out into the sands of Sograt, a lone desert wolf kept his nose to the sand as if it were searching for something. Searching and searching the wolf went until it located the origin of the scent, a boot in the sand. Furiously, it began to tug at the boot with its teeth until the boot began to move. It looked up to see a black barrel with a tiny hole in it by its face and without warning the hole released a high pitched hiss and blood sprayed across the sand from the wolf's head.

"Stupid mutt, hope he didn't give my position away…" The figure holding the smoking silenced pistol in his hand said to himself before situating himself back into the sand with a sniper rifle before him.

He watched Morroc with the scope of the rifle, searching for any sign of Sho. While the moments ticked down for him and the thought of giving up after a whole night of surveillance refreshed itself in his mind, he suddenly caught a break. A quick glimpse of a stalker caught his eye. Long black hair, low eyes, two scars on the cheek and a disposition like one legged man in a marathon, it was Sho.

Quickly he grabbed his walkie-talkie and radioed for Wolfe.

"Boss, its Serge. I've located target! Morroc town, cords are lon; 21, lat; 112. He seems to be alone, I have a clear shot, should I take it?" He came in over the walkie talkie

Wolfe sprang from his bed and snatched his walkie from the vanity with a hurry.

"Negative! Stay put until I arrive. You and the others keep tight tabs on him, if he so much as pisses I want to know where, what time and what color it was!" He ordered as he grabbed his jacket and goggles from the chair beside the bed.

Out the door he headed with great speed, but to his dismay Seban was passing by at that moment.

"….Has there been any developments Wolfe?" He asked in a monotone voice.

"Eh, none mate. Our boys are out lookin' for the bastard now. Don't worry tin man; you'll be the first to know yea?" He said while patting Seban's large shoulders.

Outside of the castle, Wolfe pulled a flute from his jacket and played a short tune which carried in the wind. Not so much as a second passed before the sound of clanging metal, claws against the street and heavy panting was heard. Wolfe smirked as his faithful companion, a giant black and white wolf, skidded to a halt. Wolfe hopped atop and grabbed the chain reins to direct the wolf towards the south exit.

"Let's go Krieg!" He commanded as the wolf took off with top speed.

Back in the sands, more men began to arrive around the outskirts of Morroc. Inside its walls, Sho headed back to Dalda's home. He stepped inside, sighing as the rickety door just barely closed because of its condition. He noticed Dalda and her three grandchildren speaking in a much more serious tone.

"What's going on?..." Sho inquired his nerves now on edge.

"The children, they say that there are men appearing in the sands. Many of them are surrounding the town now. Sho…They may be after you. I think it may be wise for you to leave!" Dalda's words came out swift and filled with concern for her only family.

Sho looked outside, his eyes scanning for any potential resistance. Nothing registered to him which triggered his body to bolt outside, leaving the door wide open while his feet kicked up sand with every step.

'I have to get somewhere not even the King will know about. It'll have to be the tomb, but I have to avoid whoever's outside first.' He thought to himself as he stopped and blended in with a group of travelers and merchants.

Using his peripheral view he spotted subtle movements outside of the town gates. They were gunslingers and snipers and they were well armed. Sho automatically knew he was the target and that he was being tracked, he could just feel it. Thinking quickly, he reached into his pocket and pulled a dusty scroll free. With a quick chant the scroll burned into nothing and the ground began to shake.

"Heaven's Drive!!" he yelled as the people around him fell to the ground just as he vanished from sight.

Out in the sands, Serge looked around, trying to keep up with everything, but soon lost Sho in the commotion.

"Aw shit and back! If I don't find 'em, boss is going to toss me to Maya!" He reminded himself as he searched for Sho again.

Out the gates Sho waltzed right by the patrolling Hound members with his footprints being covered by the gentle wind blowing the sand. A good distance out, his chase walk technique was wearing on his body, so it was time to give it up. His body came into clear view as he took a breath. Sweat poured down his face while he stopped and looked down to recover slightly.

"Ello there mate!" Wolfe's voice sounded as he too came into clear view from deactivating his camouflage.

"Shit!" Sho yelled out, starting a mad dash through the sands.

Wolfe laughed and followed behind on his wolf's back, pulling his bow free from his back. He drew the bow back, building tension in the string and wood. A smile slid onto his face like no other. He released the bow with a loud 'twang' and the arrow flew through the air with almost no resistance.

Sho ducked to the sand, just barely dodging the tip of the arrow by mere millimeters. He rolled down the dune and slid towards a pair of odd looking rocks that had an off color about them.

'There!' He thought in a hurry as he dove head first into the sands.

His body slid between the rocks and through the sand until he could be seen no more. Wolfe stopped and raised his brow, wondering where Sho had just gotten to, until it hit him. It had to be the passage to the tomb. With a grin he jumped down and sunk into the sand, but not before dawning a small face mask.

Down below, Sho landed in a pile of white sands that was teaming with all sorts of insect life. He stumbled to his feet and ran down one of the many hallways present down below. Seeing as before he could easily be lost, his previous marks were still visible, he just hoped Wolfe wouldn't pick up on them.

Wolfe followed down shortly after with a sharp blade in his hand in case of close combat. His crimson eyes scanned the area carefully until he picked up on very faint footprints with small notches of sand missing.

"He ran this-a-way." He said quietly to himself as he began to follow the prints slowly and quietly.

Further on in, Sho stumbled around, reaching new areas not even he had explored before. He remembered this part well enough though, where Sonia began to feel sick and they ended their exploration. He ran on pass, hoping to find an exit or some form of help down this path. Unfortunately for him, all that awaited him was a dead end. With his eyes on the wall ahead of him, he could hear Wolfe's feet sinking in the sand, each grain making a scraping noise on his boots.

'Dammit! This will not end here!' His thought raced through his mind over and over while he tried to drown it out and think of a plan. He couldn't chase walk for another three minutes and twenty one seconds and Wolfe was much closer than that. He looked up at the wall, searching for anything, but found nothing. With all hope seeming to escape him, he let a breath free in despair. As the air left his mouth, the dust on the wall blew away slightly, revealing words.

Sho knelt closer to see the words, but as he did, the buckle on his boot caught hold of something and pulled. The ceiling opened and sand dumped in from above him, leaving him no chance to escape. He closed his eyes tight and bit down hard as the sand came down with tremendous force.

Wolfe arrived at the dead end nearly a minute later and looked around. He took a deep whiff in and growled slightly. His new found anger of a lost target forced his fist into the side of the wall with great force. He turned and headed down the hall again, keeping his senses sharp in case Sho reared his head again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Unbroken Bonds

The sounds of hammers against nails and wood rung out throughout Prontera as carpenters and smiths began working on the festival decorations. Thousands of colorful banners, streamers and stands were being erected for the three day celebration. Children ran through the streets with masks they planned to use for the story telling event, older citizens carried the ashes of their loved ones for the spirit sending and merchants marked up prices for summer outfits. It was definitely a time for grand celebration, even more so for the royal guard, Seban.

With his casual clothing on, Seban paved along the busy streets, making his way towards the chapel near the cemetery. On the way, the sight of Mjolnir Red tails caught his eye. Up to the merchant he stepped with his massive frame, looking at the flowers surrounding the perimeter of the stall.

"How much for a bouquet of Red Tails madam?" He asked ever so politely.

"Hmmm, for such a handsome man, how about two thousand zeny? That's half of the usual sweety." The merchant flirted with a wink.

Seban smiled with a brightness rivaled only by the silver buckle on his belt. He took out the amount from his pants and took the beautifully wrapped flowers into his arms.

"I believe my fiancé will love these, thank you madam." He said before heading off on his path again.

As he walked away, the merchant smiled and sighed to herself while resting her head on her hand.

"Oooof course he's getting married… It's the time for love and yet… I'm alone again… Hahah, oh well I guess." She continued with the conversation with herself.

In front of the chapel, Seban took extra time to make sure he was presentable to the woman he would be marrying in three days. His pants were neat and ironed, shirt tucked in, hair slicked back, teeth cleaned and his face was spotless with exception to the mole by his right eye. He took a breath and entered the chapel, greeting the nuns, acolytes and priests at the entrance. With his height, he looked over them, hoping to see his bride-to-be somewhere.

"Ah, Seban. Elajia will be out soon, she's making the final alterations to her gown." One of the priests told him with a warm smile and nod.

He took a seat on the pew in the rear of the church, his leg bounced up and down in anticipation. Soon his hands began fidgeting around with his pocket watch and his brow began to sweat. Battling with monsters weren't this bad in his mind, but when it came to his wife he didn't know what to think or do next. He suddenly straightened up at the sound of the door opening and heels clicking on the floor before reaching the mauve carpet.

"Well Father Bamph, I like how it looks. Do you think it'll surprise…Seban!?" She yelled in excitement when she spotted her soon-to-be husband. "What are you doing here?!"

He only smiled and stood, presenting the flowers to her as his cheeks along with hers began to flush.

"I…Er... Well your mother told me you were at the chapel and I thought I'd surprise you is all… I didn't know what you were doing exactly." He said with stutters and pauses from the nervous assault he was feeling.

She took the flowers, smiled and threw a hug onto his frame. She held on tight, feeling a tear almost fall from her cheek.

"Thank you Seban. I truly love you, you know?" She said while pulling away and looking at him.

"And I, you. I will never let any harm befall you my love. You have my word on my Royal honor!"

Father Bamph couldn't help but to clap and smile. "Amen."

Back in the tombs, Sho was finally coming too after the fall from the upper levels. He opened his eyes but was greeted with darkness as he stood and tried to walk. He stumbled forward, smacking his jaw on something hard in the sand. With the daze fresh on him, he slowly rummaged through his pants until he found the clip of sight, a parting gift from the good doctor in Prontera. With the clip attached, the ethereal flame sprouted around his body, illuminating the dark chamber.

He stood, looking at the blood in the sand from his now injured face, and took a few steps forward before tripping on something else in the sand.

"Dammit all to hell! What is this!?" He yelled to himself as his voice echoed in the room.

He scurried over to the item that tripped him. It was a metal edge to something. Quickly he began to unearth what lied beneath the ancient sands. His hands worked as fast as he could while still shaking the disorientation from his body. Soon enough, the sand vanished from the object little by little, until it was cleared. In front of Sho was a lid of some sort, and a large one to boot. He stepped onto the lid until he reached the other side where a latch awaited. With a hard tug, the latch broke off, sending Sho to the sand yet again.

He rose up and shook the sand from his hair, stopping for a moment to release a stream of swears. Back on his feet, he grabbed his Damascus and began to work the blade under the lid until finally it lifted ever so slightly. Using the least bit of leverage, he pried enough space open to get his hand under and lifted the heavy container lid. Dust and sand flew around as the lid smashed into the sand in front of Sho, causing him to shield his mouth, nose and eyes with his sleeve.

When the dust and debris settled, he gazed into the container with his pseudo light source. Inside was a book held tight with a rusty lock and a layer of dust so thick, Sho left a 2cm imprint upon lifting the book. With a sharp breath, he blew the dust off of the cover, revealing a symbol that almost shined to Sho. He had only seen this symbol once in his life, but he remembered it well. It was the symbol of The Advents.

Quickly he grabbed for his now bent Damascus, going to work on the rusty lock. 'Cling, Clang' the dulling blade went until the lock snapped in two, releasing the cover from the pages. Quickly he sat down with his back to the container as he began to read the following pages.

"It's been about three days already. I've gotten pretty far, but I have no idea what the hell happened to Azulong, Kursis, Nin or even my lovely Angelica. If only I was a bit more careful, I could have slit that bitch, Kelsly's throat. No matter, the royal family will see its doom soon enough. They will know the error of double crossing The Advents. Though I know the king can't be trusted as far as I could throw him, I wonder why he executed one of his most trusted men. He probably found out the deal the king and I made, heh poor bastard, should have kept to his blades and birds." The excerpt read.

He continued onto the next page, keeping a steady pace of words.

"Shit… I fell into this stupid hole in Sograt and now I can't get back up. All for a Phreeoni. Of all the damn luck." The page was torn at that part, but picked up later. "It must be noon, the sun is peeking through this tiny ass hole in the ceiling which is my only source of lighting…My abilities aren't working and I've even tried calling Chaos, but he must have abandoned me as well. I'm certain my so called loyal crew has already. The only one I know wouldn't do that to me is my Angelica. She must be waiting on me. Shit, I'm going to try and get out of here again."

More pages were either torn or too faded to read, so Sho skipped on.

"That's it. I've gone as far as I possibly gone in trying to escape. The last bit of my food was eating a week ago and the water from above has stopped pouring. This is the end of the line for me. I want to record it all here….Right now about The Advents. I don't know who will find this, but I hope whoever it is will stick my blade into the King's heart and remove his soul from his body to bring it to hell so I can greet him myself. Hell……I'm not sure where I should even begin. Actually…Yea, I do. My techniques" Sho's eyes lit up, he immediately turned the page to read on.

Page by page he read the book. There were skills, maps, records, almost everything The Advents were involved with, were outlined in the pages to come. Sho couldn't believe what he had in his hands. His eyes carefully carried each bit of information into his mind, sealing it into his thoughts permanently. He'd finally reached the end of the book, the final page. It was no longer written in Ink, but in blood.

"Out of time. No more ink, pricked finger for blood. Heh, I'm dying I guess, oh well. Whoever gets this book, know that the leader of The Advents will have his revenge." The words read.

Sho turned to the end and his heart nearly skipped a beat. His skin prickled with bumps and his spine shivered.

"For I am Sho Seki, Leader of The Adve-. " The words cut off with a thin trail of blood leaving the page.

Sho sat there for a moment, how could his name have been in the book when this was hundreds of years ago? His name became a new mystery to him at that moment. He wanted to know why his mother picked that name of all names. What connections did she have with him? Everything was beginning to spiral in Sho's mind. He stood up and checked inside of the container.

There at the bottom was a jacket with many belts around it and fur around the top. He pulled it free from the darkness below, causing a knife to fall from the pocket. He leaned over to grab the knife, but spotted something else in the container. With a grunt he lugged both the knife and what seemed to be a large crystal structure from below. He recognized it instantly; emperium. There was something off about this chunk though; it had an unusual black hue to it. He sat the emperium and knife down to try on the jacket. Just his luck, it fit him perfectly.

He moved his arms around to make sure it was comfortable and of course it was. He knelt down and grabbed the serrated knife with a quick motion. The blade, even though had been down in the dank container for god knows how long, was incredibly sharp. With a grin he placed the blade in his pocket and lowered down to grab the emperium. Suddenly is body felt heavy. A cold feeling surged over his body and mind as he tried to breathe. He couldn't think, he could only feel the sudden rush of his body falling.

His face landed in the sand, blurring his vision. He blinked a few times but couldn't believe his eyes. The emperium was in front of his face, black tendrils wrapped around his body and throat. He looked up slightly to see the crystal lift into the air, taking him with it. The tendrils tightened up around his body, until they began to sink into his skin. He tried to yell, but found his body lacking air when it needed it. Soon it was over and the emperium vanished. Sho landed on one knee and began a coughing fit while he gasped for air.

To his amazement, he felt a change come over him. His hair was now cut, spiked upward and a new shade of white. His entire outfit was different, something he'd never seen before, but it matched the Jacket. He felt a new power within his body, a new sense of direction and a new determination to fulfill his hatred soaked revenge. He lifted his arm to the sky to see The Advent symbol on his hand, a dark aura pulsing from it. He was now a Shadow Chaser and the new leader of The Advents.

With a grin, Sho turned to the wall and with one blink, released some of his power. Beside him stood another being, it was him. He pat it on the back as it walked to the wall and detonated with tremendous force, clearing a hole in the side. He stepped over the rubble, cracked his neck and began making his way through the tunnels of the tomb that not even he had examined.

Back at the entrance, Wolfe and Alterin stood by while Hound members scouted the inside of the tombs. One by one they entered the dark area, equipped with large torches to light the way.

"So…Lemme get this straight mate. Your king didn't know where the tomb was, but he knows what's inside 'em?" Wolfe asked while folding his arms atop his mount.

Alterin just nodded, keeping his large sword at ready in case Sho appeared from the depths. Just as the sun reached its highest point, three of the Hound members resurfaced with uneasy looks on their faces.

"Sir! We've combed the entire tomb. We report that there are no signs of anything in there besides a couple of monsters and lots of sand. No corpses, bodies or graves." One reported.

Alterin's brow perked a bit.

"How can that be? The Advents were buried here years ago! That disgusting bastard must have located the bodies and moved them elsewhere, but for what reason? Hmm, I must report back to the king. Have your men pull out and return to the castle immediately." Alterin commanded before taking off on his black dragon.

Wolfe watched the Rune knight leave with a disapproved look on his face. He turned to one of the members and looked him in the eye.

"So…You're telling me that you found no one in there?" He asked, his voice lower than usual.

"Y-Yes sir! No one!" One of the men nervously replied.

"……….Then you have failed me." Wolfe said before pulling his bow out in a blink of an eye and putting an arrow into each of the three's heads. "I don't like failure…Okay you bastards! Round up and move out. I want to see everyone back at Pront castle in less than five, do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted, rallied together.

Back in the castle, the king sat at his desk, glancing over many a page in a large book branded with the Prontaran seal. His reading glasses sat neatly atop the bridge of his nose as he took a gander at the many words ahead of him. A knock came from his large doors to the study with a voice accompanying it.

"Your Majesty, its Edgar. I was wondering if it'd possible to have a word with you." His voice muffled slightly by the thickness of the door.

"Yes, yes I suppose. Enter Edgar." The king replied while closing the book.

Edgar arrived inside and closed the door behind him. He bowed to the king and stood at the head of the desk.

"Sire, I've been meaning to ask you. Was it truly necessary to have the woman's body cast into Ant Hell? Wouldn't it have been easier to just bury her without the brain?" He questioned, each of his movements caused a bottle to jingle the contents inside.

"…Edgar. I'm going to bestow some truth onto you, truth about the events of the past months. When Sonia and Sho arrived, Doctor Morrix knew well enough who she was and knew immediately what her ailment was and what would cure her instantly. However, I issued the order to halt treatment of that years ago because whoever had it, must have been in contact with the tomb of The Advents. The price he set for the treatment was merely a ploy to force them away for a time; giving the virus time to work it's so called magic. She knew well enough the path she had chosen by running away, having relations with a dirty rat of the city and worst of all, helping him locate the tombs. She was a traitor to her family and to our kingdom and for that, she had to suffer the indignity of nourishing the Ants and their queen; Maya. That is the reason why young Edgar." The king spoke with such anger in his voice that his fist shook.

Edgar gulped hard and could only nod. He turned towards the door and pushed his glasses up onto his face before wiping the stray bead of sweat from his chin.

"F-forgive me for intruding sire. I'll take my leave now." He said, trying to make his way to the door quickly.

Just as he reached for the door, it opened abruptly and Alterin entered. He performed the knight's salute and bow before raising his head.

"Sire, I bring news of the fugitive! Wolfe pursued him into the tombs where he made an escape somehow. Hound swept the entire tombs and found…Well nothing sire. Not even the bodies of The Advents. Not only that but-"

"Alterin, hold your words for now. Edgar, you may take your leave now. I have urgent news to discuss with my knight…" He said while looking at Edgar as if he were looking down at him.

Edgar reached for the door again, but looked at the king before leaving.

"Edgar…Do not dip your fingers in jars that have the lids closed. You may not enjoy what you find." The king's last words to him were layered in threats as Edgar exited with great haste.

Edgar wasted no time returning to his room. He sat at the foot of the bed and released a sigh while digging in his large bag he brought along with him from Al De Baran. From inside he pulled a black box out with a single sheet of parchment. He soon began to write on the parchment while it lay atop the box.

"Dear Simon.

I've spoken with the king and I have unsettling news." It began.

Edgar wrote of everything he'd just heard in great detail, hoping to find some comfort in his long time friend and scientific comrade; Simon Alphonse. He finished the letter and signed his name on it before folding it and running his hand along the paper while it lay on the black box. The letter seemed to jump slightly and sizzle. When he opened the paper, it was blank, all of the words now inscribed onto the box. The letters gave a glow before vanishing themselves from the surface of the box.

In Al De Baran, Simon sat in his room as night drew near to the city. He stood and approached the maid who had his evening garb prepared for him. Just as he began to change, the same type of black box began to sizzle with words. Simon ran over to it and grabbed a piece of parchment, pressing it against the box. The letters jumped onto the paper and Simon began to read aloud, a habit he'd been trying to break.

"Goodness….Maya….Virus….Sho has escaped….Advents?! My word." He said in between his reading.

He sat at the desk and began to write back immediately, hoping to calm his friend's nerves with his words.

Elsewhere, in a dark room only being illuminated by a single blue computer screen, a lone man placed a potion bottle down and began to grin.

"How very interesting…."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Refined formula

From the time Sho escaped until now, many hours had passed already. He sat at a bar on Comodo Island, watching the dancers on stage move their bodies in the light of the moon. An empty glass sat beside him at the table, but was soon refilled by the smiling waitress who came over with a pitcher of green ale.

"Appreciated lady." He said almost coldly before turning his attention back to the dancers.

She smiled and stepped away with the tray, moving on to the next batch of customers. As he sat, taking slow sips of his drink, his mind had been hard at work formulating plans, none of them however seemed to work. He slammed his fist on the table and groaned, wondering why none of The Advent plans seemed to fit what he needed to be done.

Just as he sunk into the seat a little more, the sound of approaching footsteps made him sigh.

"No more booze, I just need some time to think." He said with his hand waving the on comer away.

"Ohoho, it seems you've mistaken me for the drink serving bimbo. However I assure you, you'll want me here much much more…Sho Seki." The man said with a side, slim grin on his pale face.

Sho immediately reacted to his name. He drew the blade from his jacket and went instantly for the man's neck only to stop just inches away when he realized his hands were up. Sho's eyes lowered as he kept his stance firm.

"Who the fuck are you and why do you know my name?" He questioned.

"Me? Oh you may call me Salamander. As for how I know you, it's quite simple. I have my ear in just about every nook and cranny of the world and it seems you're being followed by the royal family. Odd though, you don't match the description they released for you to the public." He said, smiling wickedly though his words.

"What do you want with me 'Salamander'? I'll be glad to liberate your head from your body if you think you're taking me in." He said with a snap.

"Take you in? Ohohoho no, you have it the wrong way. I only wish to ask for a brief moment of your time." Sal responded.

"….Pass. Get the hell out of here." Sho told while moving his blade back into his pocket and taking his seat.

Salamander smirked and sat at the table anyway. He reached into his pocket and placed an envelope on the table.

"Sho, what if I told you that I know some information about Sonia, the king and The Advents that you didn't even know? Would that change your mind?" He asked, placing his chin into his cupped hand.

"What!? What do you know?!" He shouted, drawing attention to himself.

Salamander looked around and shook his head.

"No no, not here, let's head off to where 'bugs' can't crawl into." He said while standing, grabbing the envelope.

Sho stood and followed, making his way by the waitresses and moving customers. Outside of bar, the short trek to the shoreline took less than a minute. Sho stood on the pier and looked out at the calm waters.

"Well? Start talking…" He demanded while folding his arms.

Salamander laughed and began to tell Sho about the letter Edgar sent to Simon. About the actions the king took with Sonia's body, about the tomb's raid, everything.

Sho's fist were tight, he could feel the skin under his nails being broken from the tension.

"Ant…Hell? He sent her off to Ant Hell? She could have been cured?! Heh…Ehehe…AHAHAHA!" He began a laugh that reached back to the dancer's stage. "You've gotta be kidding me. Why should I believe you?"

Salamander reached into his bag and pulled a small box out, it had a flat screen and a small hole for sound on it. He pressed the little button the back of it as pictures began to show with sound. On it, Simon sat in his room reading the letter aloud, revealing everything that Edgar and the king spoke about. Sho instantly took the screen and stared at it until it finished.

"W-where did that come from?" He asked, staring at Salamander now.

"Before that, I should explain my reasoning for being here. You see, I'm a Bio Chemist from the same Alchemy guild as Edgar and Simon. A year ago they ruled that no human alchemy would be allowed in the alchemic world. That was something my scientific mind couldn't live with, so against their rules, I went into production of making a human homunculus. Of course it was no easy task, but I eventually perfected the formula and as a result, I was banished from the alchemic world and sentenced to execution. Though since their heads were so far gone up their asses, they failed to realize they executed a well made homunculus in my image. Once I escaped to my hideaway, I began creating more and more homunculus. Now normally it'd be a useless trade to have outside of the alchemy guild, but once I met a trader from Einbroch who had quite the selection of gadgets, I knew well enough what my human clones could be used for." He smirked and pointed to the screen. "Surveillance! Right under their narrow minded noses are my own works. Each one crafted to be maintenance men, maids, passing students and contractors. Things that could easily have access to parts of the guild that the public would never see as long as their bodies contained breath! So here I stand, proposing that with this new found information, we act against the royal family, for your lost love and for their blind rejection of my knowledge. What do you say Sho?"

Sho stood there for a moment, his mind in a rush of information, plans and decisions. He looked to Salamander and nodded, holding his hand up to his face.

"Fine, as leader of The Advents, I invite you!" His words echoed slightly as the same symbol on his hand appeared on Salamander's neck.

"Ohoho, very good, very good. Now then, onto my last piece of information." He said while pulling the envelope back out and opening it. Inside was a map with various points circled.

"Each of these points represents a descendent of the previous Advents members. Locked away in the prisons of Glast heim, we have Kuroi. Atop Mjolnir is Azulong XIX, and in the port town of Alberta we have Alexander Crosshound II. Not only that, but I have someone in the priesthood who wishes to help me. I'm certain she will be a great asset to The Advents. I suggest we gather these members before we make our next move sir." Salamander spoke while pointing to each point.

"I agree. I'll take Kuroi since I know Glast Heim pretty well. You gather your priest friend and head to Alberta for Alexander. Once we get them both, we meet up in Payon to move onto Mjolnir." Sho commanded as the symbol gave a glow on both of their bodies. "The Advents will bring ruin to the royal family…"

The doors to the king's study opened shortly before the tenth hour struck. He stepped from within the room with a yawn and the escort of Alterin. On his march through the halls, he spotted Cortez who hopped up from one of the chairs in the hall, dropping his book in the seat. He quickly began to spell out words in the air with his finger.

"Ah, King, I wonder if I could have a moment of your time. It's about my current mission." The words sparked to life and fizzled away slowly.

The king waved off Alterin and stood before Cortez.

"Ah yes, your one year oath of silence for your Arch Mage's training. What exactly are you hoping to speak to me about?" He asked while folding his arms under the robe he'd been wearing.

"I was hoping you could speak to my higher ups to allow me to speak during this mission. It would greatly aid if I were able to speak instead of having to spend time writing it out. Certainly you agree." His fingers traced through the ether.

The king snickered a bit and shook his head.

"I cannot help you in that venture, you know well enough the importance of trying to accomplish what has yet to happen. You will become the first Arch Mage if you succeed and besides, you have less than two weeks until it's over. I suggest you keep your silence and become more than you ever have been." He said before taking his leave.

Cortez looked down and shook his head, thinking back to how many problems this vow of silence. His wife leaving him, his children being taken with her, everything could have been stopped with a few words, but would result in his immediate release of all of his magic abilities. Not even now when he wished to sigh, he could not. All he could do was return to his seat, pick up the book and begin again his reading.

In front of the castle, Seban and his fiancé sat on the bench outside, feeling the warm air surround them while they watched the creamies fly by in packs. He smiled, placing his arm around her while she placed her hand on her stomach.

"Do you think you'd want to be a father?" She asked suddenly, keeping her eyes on the massive butterflies that began to sit on the petals of the flowers despite their size.

Seban nearly coughed as she said those words. He looked at the sky for a moment with a drop of sweat beading on this cheek. He turned to her with a dopey look on his face and shrugged.

"I-I'm not really sure to be honest. I mean, well I may want to be a father, but I don't know when exactly. I'm not even sure how well I would do as a father anyway." He explained, rubbing his nose as he did.

With a light tap on his chest, she smirked.

"Don't worry about it; with a strong mother like me, you won't have to do anything dear." She joked with a laugh.

He joined her in the laugh, holding on while the lights began to come on around the city. After minutes of sitting, Elajia stood and kissed Seban on the forehead. With a wink she started down the street, heading home. Seban stood himself and smile, watching her leave before heading back into the castle to begin his duty for the night again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Zombies, Dragons and Children

Though it took nearly three hours to reach, Sho finally arrived at Glast Heim. He looked at the overgrowth of plants around what used to be an architectural wonder. In the stagnant water below the bridges were small animals that fed on anything that dropped below. Sho stepped over the cracking bridge, moved around the dry bushes and arrived at the main gate. There he noticed the trots of hooves on the concrete and knew immediately who it was, an old foe who had since defeated Sho; The Abysmal Knight.

Sho jumped the gate and stood face to face with the darkened warrior. Both of their eyes met and each knew what today came to. One of them was going to die here and soon and Sho had no intention on failing his mission this early on. He drew the blade from his pocket and extended his free hand in challenge formation, waving his fingers to a fro.

"Well bitch? Come on and try me!" He dared, taking a stance.

The ebon horse that Abysmal rode on reared into the air, stomping hard as it began to charge towards Sho. Abysmal lifted his heavy blade and held it steady, ready to lop Sho's mind free from his skull. Sho snickered and vanished in an instant, just as the Knight neared him. The horse slid against the concrete, trying to stop its momentum. Sho reappeared behind the horsemen and clapped his hands.

"Still pretty swift aren't you? Too bad your retarded horse is the only thing competent in that team hehe." Sho taunted, brining his hand in front of him.

The abysmal knight lowered his eyes in a silent rage and turned the horse to Sho's position. Another charge came from the horse, this time faster than the last. A grin snuck up on Sho's face in an instant as he jumped over the knight, revealing a hole in the ground where he stood. The knight again tried to stop, but the ground seemed to turn to liquid, pulling both the horse and its rider down.

Sho laughed and watched as they both sunk in slowly into the manhole he created. Shortly after, they could move no more with only their heads sticking above the ground. Sho stepped towards the two, blade in hand and the evil smirk on his face. He knelt down and smacked the horse one good time, causing it to neigh in rage.

"Ah, shut the hell up. It's going to be over pretty soon for you and your pitiful owner.

The knight looked up at Sho, closing its eyes.

"Though thou may stab me, thou will never slay the abyss…" He spoke, his words heavy in rasp and bitterness.

Sho raised a brow and got a bit closer.

"Holy shit, you do talk! After all those year, I always thought you were a mute. Eh, well let's make it so huh?" He asked, placing the knife into the Horse's head with no resistance at all.

He turned his attention to the abysmal knight, slitting his throat completely across with little effort, but he was not finished. He traced the line completely around, taking the knights head off with ease. Grabbing the hair under the helmet, Sho lifted the head in his clutches as the black blood drained onto the white concrete. With a trail of blood behind him, Sho headed to the entrance of Glast heim, making his way towards the underground prison system.

In Alberta, a warp portal sprung to life at the edge of the docks. Salamander and a high priestess stepped from within the glowing confines of the portal. Salamander took out the map again and pointed out where Alexander should have been living. A quick survey of the area helped gain his bearings. He turned to the high priestess and nodded.

"This way Yumi, I do believe he is near." Salamander told while making his way north.

"Yes doctor." She replied, placing her hands in front of her and following behind.

Out of all of the homes in front of Salamander, one had a particular aura about it, a sad, hateful aura that screamed out to them. As they approached the home, The Advent symbol on Salamander's neck began to glow intensely, proving his information to be correct. Without even bothering to knock, Salamander turned the knob to the door but got no sort of movement from it. He reached into his jacket and pulled a green bottle from its confines. The cap pooped open and he drizzled a little of the contents onto the knob, causing it to sizzle intensely. The knob vanished in a matter of seconds leaving nothing but the old hinges to keep the door from moving.

Salamander opened the door and stepped inside, noting how the room looked untouched. There were photos of Alexander and his son around the area, but something was odd. Each of the pictures seemed to be a progression of sorts as in each other following, his son looked sicklier. Salamander lifted the last photo, the boy's face was pale, his eyes were dark and his frame was thin. He placed the photo down and shook his head.

"Grimbane's disease, must have been a very slow and painful death for the child."

"Indeed it was….." A low voice came from the room behind the two intruders. "He died screaming out for me, wanting me to end the pain and suffering."

Salamander stepped to the room and opened, the rotting smell of flesh taking his nose by surprise, yet something he'd grown used to. Yumi turned her head and ran outside holding her hand over her mouth. She stumbled outside, releasing the contents of her stomach onto the street much to the onlooker's displeasure. Salamander stepped inside, looking at the husk of an Advent descendent, in front of him was a dead child who had a toy locked in his hand.

"Have you been in here this entire time…Alexander?" Salamander asked, looking at Alexander's malnourished body.

"I haven't had the will to leave. I can't bear to send him off to the next world, he's all I have left." Alex said, looking up with baggy eyes and a pasty complexion.

"For Valkyrie's sake man, you're holding a dead child in a room, he's far beyond rotted and you're sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. I find it hard to believe you are an Advent descendant."  
Alexander quickly turned violent, reaching for the rusty sword beside his leg. He turned and thrust for Salamander's face, only to miss and fall forward.

"Geez, you can't even use the blade properly, let alone stand for yourself. This is pathetic, Sho is going to be pissed at this waste of time. You may as well go back to crying over your dead child you disgusting waste of semen." Salamander said while heading for the exit. "To think I thought you could help the Advents destroy the royal family.

"What do you know!? Huh!? Do you know what it's like?! To lose your wife to war? To lose your son to disease?! Do you!? I think not you bastard!" He looked down at the floor, tears tried to fall, but his body had no moisture to give from his days of malnourishment.

"Hmm, you're right, I have no idea what that's like, but seeing you in this pitiful state makes me glad I don't know. How about you clean yourself up, stand, and use some of that anger to do what your ancestors what have done." He said, not bothering to even dignify Alex with a look.

"….Why would I help you destroy the royal family? There is no reason in the world for me to do such, regardless of who my family may or may not be. Besides….I have long forgotten my ways as a paladin. My heart can no longer hear the gospel of the angels, it is filled with the darkness of despair and sadness."

An evil grin skittered onto Salamander's face as he turned only enough to show his face.

"Well then…What if I said I could bring your son back to you Alexander? Would that pique your interest?" He asked, his giddiness poking through his voice.

Alex's eyes opened as far as they could. He stared at Salamander with hope and desperation.

"H-How!? How can you do so!?" He begged to know.

"Well it's actually quite simple, you've kept the body which at an alchemic stand point is good for…Human alchemy. You see, I can easily fix his body, even cure the disease so he can grow up to be just like daddy. Yumi there can open a portal to bring his soul back from where ever the hell it resides and all I'd need is a simple soul linker, some blue gemstones and the alchemy guild's philosopher stone. Simple, yea?" He bragged on, sending Alex's hopes to new heights.

"This must be a trick...Human alchemy is looked down on, there's no way you could be in the guild." He replied, trying to stand.

Salamander smirked and reached into his bag.

"You are indeed correct, I was banished and executed. As far as the world knows, I am dead, but of course, the world is wrong. I also assure you, this is no trick. For your service to The Advents, I can repay it with the life of your child. So, are you in or out Crosshound?" He asked while pulling a yellow fruit from his bag.

Alex's eyes watered slightly as they widened. He looked at the fruit and smiled wide.

"T-The Yggdrasil berry! The fruit of the gods themselves! I-I will do it! I will do whatever The Advents wish of me! Just please bring my son back to me!" Alex yelled out, bowing his head down.

Salamander threw the fruit behind him. It hit Alex on the head and rolled beside him. He grabbed the fruit and wasted no time digging into its flesh with his teeth. Bite by bite, the fruit vanished from his hands, leaving a sticky residue on his palms and face. Almost instantly, Alex began to change. His body began restoring itself. His hair that was once brittle and dingy restored back to its black flowing self. He stood for the first time in a while, his muscles regenerating back to their original glory from days of old. He stretched, filling his lungs with the fresh air of outside mixed with the sour taint of his son's rotted corpse.

"I feel…Re-energized! I am ready to serve The Advents now. Just tell me what I need to do!" He said, bowing again.

Salamander was already outside, waiting beside a portal that Yumi crafted. He held his hand out in an inviting gesture for Alexander to approach.

"First, it's time to get you suited up for duty. There's someone I want you to meet Ohoho!" He laughed as he stepped into the portal.

Alex looked at his son's dead body one last time and smiled, hoping he'd return to him soon. He closed the door and walked into the portal slowly, being followed by Yumi right after.

Just outside the underground prison's entrance, Sho stood there, wiping blood from his face and hands. The blood was of various colors and viscosity, meaning it wasn't his. He lifted the Abysmal head he held onto and looked it in its half closed eyes. With a laugh he swung the head around and threw it into the prison's dark hallway. The sound of groaning, gurgling and clanking caught his ear as the living dead, past prisoners who were cursed during their sentence, stumbled from the darkness. Most of them barely had their limbs intact while others could only move at a crawl. They approached the thrown head and began to grasp and groan for it.

Sho stepped in, revealing himself to all of the undead that stopped suddenly to watch him. He grinned and slid backwards, leaving another exploding clone of himself. They ran for it, tripping over them elves to take a bite out of the clone. The first set of rotted teeth sank into the clone, ripping it open and exposing a black, powdery substance inside. The clone slumped over and exploded with more force than the first he made back in the tomb. He stepped through the dust to observe the damage. Limbs and bodies everywhere, check. One of the heads below him moved slightly, its eye twitching in the socket. Sho looked down and shook his head.

"Stop staring." He said before crushing the head underneath his shoe.

A few more steps and Sho stopped, feeling immense energy coming from a single cell down the hallway. It was almost as though evil energy was calling out to him, just past the old rusted electric chair. Sho deposited his hands into his pants pocket and casually strolled down the hall until he reached the cell. He looked inside, nothing but pure darkness and a burning smell. The clip of sight made another return, lighting the cell up in an instant.

Sitting on the broken cot was a dark skinned man with torn clothes and black hair pulled into a puffy afro like ponytail. He looked up at Sho, one eye glowing red and energy spheres appearing around him.

"Aha, you must be Kuroi, one of Kursis' descendents. Tell me, do you know about The Advents? I was hoping to come and invite you to the beginning of the new world order my friend, how does that sound?" Sho asked while folding his arms, not one ounce of fear on his body.

Kuroi stood and took a few steps to the edge of the cell. He nudged his head forward, showing Sho the mass of monsters approaching his direction.

"Hmm, seems you generate ill will. They seem to like the way you smell, maybe you've done something to them while they were alive eh?" He asked, still not showing much concern.

Kuroi grabbed the iron bars and pulled them apart as though they were made of wax. One foot came from inside and from that point, the wave of Zombies, Injustice and Rybios were about to wish they'd stayed away. Kuroi's spiritual energy reached a high, causing the area to distort from the immense power he generated. Five spirit spheres appeared around his head and he took a stance. With one stomp, the ground nearly split open and the oncoming onslaught of monsters crumpled to their knees. Kuroi extended one hand out, keeping his palm flat as ten more spheres appeared around him. They all gathered into a single point in his fist.

Sho watched everything that Kuroi did, he felt in his body the same amount of energy building. Without realizing it, he had generated his own set of spirit spheres that floated around his body. Kuroi looked back and held his hand out to those spheres as well, absorbing them into the collection he had brewing already. The mass of spirit energy began to spark and turn black with a red aura about them. He finally took a step forward and released the bundle of hurt and sorrow from his hand. The mass of spirit spheres collided with a Rybio that tried to stand, its body was instantly turned into nonexistent matter as the blast from the spheres radiated outward, destroying every one of the monsters.

Sho watched until the light died down and clapped his hands. He stood beside Kuroi and looked at the now charred hallway.

"Well now, I can see I was in my right mind when I decided to get you personally. I hope you considered my offer while you were unleashing mass death upon these fools. My ultimate goal is to take down the royal family." He said without looking at Kuroi.

Suddenly Kuroi turned to Sho with hatred in his eyes, he knew well enough of the royal family for they were the reason he was placed in Glast heim to rot away. He bit down hard and clenched his fist.

"I'm in…" Was all he said or even had to say.

Sho placed his branded hand onto Kuroi, the Advent symbol appeared on his shoulder and gave the same glow. Just as he prepared to leave, he stopped, feeling something tug at his hand.

"What the hell? Do you feel that?" He asked, looking around for the source.

Kuroi nodded, pointing below them at the cracked ground. Sho knelt down and placed his hand against the rock. The feeling was stronger now. It was something too powerful to ignore.

"Well then, think you can make us an express way down?" He asked, standing back up.

Kuroi lifted his hand and brought it down into the ground with great power and precision. The ground split open, dropping the two to the next floor where a closed off cell awaited. In the corner of the cell was a black crystal that began to jump around the moment they entered the cell. Sho raised his hand, a test of sorts to see how it would react. The crystal leapt into the air, making its way into Sho's palm.

"Well well, what do we have here? Just what the hell is this thing?" He asked aloud, examining it.

"Summon stone…" Kuroi said while heading to the other corner, preparing something.

Sho had a hunch that this is what the original leader of The Advents meant when he said 'Chaos'. With a new ally and the potential summon in his possession, it was time for the last addition to The Advents. Sho looked over to Kuroi and smirked, seeing a warp portal beside him.

"If that leads to Payon, I'm so gonna promote you." He said, taking a step into the portal with Kuroi following after.

The lush green scenery of Payon complimented the ancient looking buildings. Salamander and Yumi were already in town, sitting just outside the weapons shop. The other portal opened near the item shop, releasing Sho and Kuroi into the small public. The people around them began to feel ill from their combined intent. A couple of the children cried and one of the old men there fell to his knees. Sho only watched what happened, shrugged it off and began to scout for Salamander.

From the corner of his eye, Salamander spotted Sho and gave a sharp whistle to grain his attention. Sho turned and made his way with Kuroi. They stood face to face with the other members, their now combined aura causing animals to disperse. Sho folded his arms, wondering where Alexander was. Just as he began to ask, the sound of metal clanging caught his attention. From inside the weapons shop, Alexander stepped free with black and red armor. His hair was cut shorter and he sported a black spear in one hand and a sword breaking blade in the other.

"Sir! I give to you, Alexander Crosshound! Dark Guard of The Advents!" Salamander presented with a clap.

"Dark guard huh? Where'd that come from?" Sho asked with a smug smile.

"He's been linked, a soul transfer from a dying bloody knight. He now posses the dark arts and the defensive potential of a Royal guard. Not to mention, I fortified his armor myself. If something can get through it, it's not from this planet. So what do you think Sho?" Salamander guaranteed.

"Hehehe I like it, I like it a whole lot Sal." He replied.

Sho couldn't help but to laugh. Things were looking up and he liked the feeling of being surrounded by people with the same goal. He imagined it was how the first leader felt.

"Well then, this dark fellow here is Kuroi and from what I've witnessed, he's going to be extremely useful. I take it she's the help from the church you mentioned." He said, making a motion towards Yumi.

Salamander nodded.

"Indeed, Yumi Morgan, High priestess of Lighthalzen's church." Salamander introduced.

She bowed and looked at Sho.

"Um…I hope to be of some help to you, sir." She said almost quietly.

Sho lifted his hand up, the symbol shined again. The symbol then appeared on Yumi's chest and Alexander's right arm, even through his armor. With his arm lowered, Sho's grin was even wider. His hair began to change again with black streaks forming around the edges of his hair. The sky began to darken slightly with clouds as a light rain started.

Salamander smirked and looked towards the direction of Mjolnir.

"Now then, we must gather the White Dragon, Azulong. Shall we be going then?" He asked while standing and dusting his pants off. "Time for the Advents to be complete!"

Yumi nodded quickly and opened a portal that each of them stepped in before her. She followed after and the portal closed.

From behind one of the trees, one of the Hound members stood, fear labeled all over his face. He pulled the walkie talkie free from its pouch and fidgeted with the button for a while. Finally it clicked on and he began stammering with this words.

"Eh…Uh...S-sir! I've spotted S-Sho in Payon…He…He's changed. Nothing in the description is accurate any more…He even…Even has h-help now, he's calling them The Advents! God, I can still feel that energy around me. S-sir something is wrong here! I don't think we should be in-involved with this p-project any longer!" He voiced his opinion shakily.

"You what? It almost sounded like one of my men developed a pussy and is now telling me he's afraid of some low life and his rag tag group of fuck ups! Now I suggest you get your balls out and reattach them and keep up with Sho, otherwise when I see you I'm going to feed you to Abel! Understand!?" Wolfe's voice came in on the speaker.

"B-But sir, they've entered a portal. I believe they're heading to Mjolnir. They said something about t-the white dragon A-azulong!" The scared Hound replied.

"Then I suggest you get your ass to Mjolnir and do your fucking job! On the double!" Wolfe yelled before ending communication.

From behind Wolfe, Jinzo stood with his hand tight around the sheath.

"Did he say 'White dragon'?" He asked with a low toned voice.

Wolfe turned and sighed.

"Guess you were listening huh? Yea he did, so what of it?" Wolfe asked, maneuvering around Jinzo.

"I'm going with you! If it's who I believe it is, then your men will be in grave danger if he so much as comes in contact with Sho and the so called Advents. "Jinzo warned. "Even if you say no, I will be accompanying you and your men on this trip."

Wolfe growled and walked out, knowing Jinzo was well behind him.

"Fine, but you get in our way I promise you, you will be marked as a target. "

Jinzo just nodded and followed in silence, his mind processing everything to come in the upcoming events.

Up atop Mjolnir, a man in an all white kimono trimmed away at a banzai tree. His cuts were precise and careful. The tree slowly began to shape up the way he had the other forty he had perched on self made shelves. His last cut came about, but something drew his hand too far in and his cut was ruined. He lowered his eyes and looked up at the gathering storm clouds, quirking his brow.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Demons

Just as the clouds began to gather and the rain began to fall, the portal split open in the wilderness, driving many animals away. From the tree branches stood an extremely malnourished wolf. It crept around the bush, watching for the first meal to step from the portal. Salamander arrived first, moving so the others could exit. He stopped in his place and smirked, pulling two bottles from his coat. The wolf lunged, mouth open and fangs out. It chomped down hard, feeling a warm liquid burst into its mouth. Salamander laughed as the wolf's mouth began to bleed from the bottle of acid it just ingested.

"How is it furball? Taste good?" He taunted, tossing the other bottle up and down in his hands.

Without warning he threw the other at the whimpering animal, mixing the chemicals to create a flaming acidic mix that deteriorated the wolf into nothing but a puddle of green and black waste.

Sho and the others stepped out from the portal, avoiding the mess that once was the hungry wolf. As Kuroi stepped in, his aura shrouded them, causing the rain to surge away from their bodies. Yumi and Alexander followed last, watching the rain avoid them.

"How do we find Azulong?" Alexander inquired, looking around the thick brush.

"Ohoho very simple my large friend. With this!" He explained, lifting a round egg of sorts.

He pulled a vial of glistening liquid from his bag and dropped the egg within its confines. The mixture bubbled and churned, producing a white smoke around them. As the smoke cleared and before them stood a little blue bird with large eyes.

"Bukaw?" the bird sounded, looking up at Salamander.

"Search the area, locate the blue haired one, understood?" Salamander ordered.

The bird wasted no time at all. With a mighty flap it lifted into the air, taking to the skies instantly. Salamander folded his arms and pulled a small screen from his bag. On the flat panel, the bird's vision was captured perfectly. The tops of trees, rickety bridges and deep chasms were all seen with the monitor in glorious definition. Just as the bird approached the apex of the mountain, the screen picked up a white glint then went to static.

"Ohohoo seems we've found our man. He was even kind enough to destroy that failure prototype of mine. Anyway, with my knowledge of these mountains, and the aerial view, I know where he is. Shall we go?" Salamander suggested, picking a path out of the many branching ones.

Down below, Wolfe and Jinzo arrived just at the base. Wolfe routed his men around, providing cover in case of an escape. He looked back at Jinzo as he grabbed his bow.

"So tell me Mr. Amatsu, how do you suggest we handle this so called threat of yours?" He asked, his tone sarcastic and smart.

"He is up top…I can feel his presence and I know he can feel mine. You and your men should stay below. I will handle him myself. If The Advents are with him, it may already be too late." He said, taking a leap into a nearby tree.

"Now wait a god damn minute! This is my mission you bastard! If anything I'm goin' to kill the both of 'em and The Advents! Sho made a fool of me and I refuse to let that slide!" He yelled up to Jinzo, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Jinzo continued on his path, skipping large sections of the path by using the scenery to his advantage. Up ahead, Sho and his group were near the apex of the mountain. They could feel an enormous pressure working against them as they grew closer to the top. Sho couldn't help but let the anxious feeling create a smile on his face. He began to rub his hands together in anticipation, knowing full well the power of his small militia was growing considerably.

On his faster route to the top, Jinzo spotted Sho and is troupe, but ignored them knowing what his true mission was. Jinzo sped to the top, making sure he reached Azulong before all else. With the top in clear view, Jinzo took a final leap into the air, looking down at Azulong who'd already swung his blade with lightning speed in the air. A quick flash released from his blade, creating an energy wave that shredded through the air as though friction had no bearing on it. Jinzo released one of his swords which released a pulse of energy itself. With a quick swipe of the blade, his sword clashed with Azulong's attack, sending white and blue sparks through the air as the attack was negated.

Jinzo landed with the blade held behind him. He stared down Azulong who had already returned his blade to the sheath and moved the blade before him. The sky grew darker above the two. Lightning struck and thunder raged throughout the mountain range. They stood in front each other, speaking with no more than their eyes.

"Nii-san, you have no idea the amount of time _haha-ue_ has devoted in finding you so that you can pay for your crimes. I know you will not come back quietly, so I borrowed something from father just for you." Jinzo said while sheathing his blade.

Sho stopped suddenly in his tracks, hearing something approach them from the rear. He looked to Kuroi and Alexander with a nod and vanished into thin air, making his way by them with Salamander up the path with great speed. Wolfe and a small army of Hound members charged up the path, all prepared to do more than bring Sho and The Advents in. Kuroi summoned five of his spirit spheres and released energy, bringing ten more around him. He pressed his fingers in various places of his chest, releasing more energy in his body by using pressure points. With his knuckles cracked he took his stance with fist out. Yumi placed her hands together, praying for a moment which radiated a blue light around Kuroi. She began to recite different verses, powering him up even more.

"Assumptio!! Imposito Manus!! Asperio!! Magnificat!! Angelus!!" She commanded each word with different results.

Alexander held his spear forward, radiating a dark aura about him. He smirked as his eyes turned a deep shade of blue. His aura began to swirl in cylindrical fashion, creating a barrier around his body. They were all ready, holding their ground with a steady resolve and the will to do great harm.

"Let us show them The Advents power!" Alexander shouted as he ran head first into battle, causing even Kuroi to grin a little.

Up above, Jinzo pulled his other sword free from its sheath. The blade was made of a bright white crystal that shimmered even in the darkness of the storm. He placed the sword before him, aiming the point at Azulong's head. Azulong remained silent; he only lifted his hand, summoning a sword to his hands inside of a sheath. Jinzo's face grew serious when he noticed the blade his brother was carrying.

"Where did you get Izanagi?!" He shouted, demanding an answer. "Answer me Azulong!"

"….From Sobo-san's grave. She was secretly buried with it…." He answered reluctantly.

"…I see. So you've violated her grave for her sealed power. You truly have no shame. It pains me to have to kill you Nii-san, but I will carry out _haha-ue_'s wishes!" He announced while taking the sword with both hands. "O divine mother…"

Azulong took hold of his blade in the same fashion and held it forward.

"O god of the seven…" Azulong began.

"Thy blade guides me through the dark…" Jinzo continued.

"Thy blade guides me on my true path…" Azulong carried on.

"Be my sword, armor and soul…" They both said in unison. "Envelope me in thy power!"

Their words echoed around the mountain. Below them both sides stopped their charge and looked up as the lightning struck more frequently with much more disastrous results. Trees caught blaze, even in the torrent of the rain. Animals fled from their shelters and the ground began to shake. From the sky two figures emerged with light surrounding each.

Azulong floated upwards under one, the male who donned black and white armor, a long black katana, long ethereal hair and an arm shield that had the Advent's symbol upon it. Jinzo followed suit after Azulong, hovering under the goddess like summon that arrived from the heavens; Izanami. She floated with grace, a long naginata in her hands, flowing white gown with bright white and blue armor on her chest. Both summons took the same stances their masters took. The amassing energy around Mjolnir created an unstable environment. The rain drops had been frozen in place by the unstable energy, keeping them suspended from the ground.

Wolfe s seized his opportunity to ride by The Advents with one of his female gunslingers. They continued on, leaving the many snipers, hunters and other gunslingers below to face Alexander and Kuroi who were being supported by Yumi. The first line of slingers were all flipping sets of coins, almost in unison with smug looks on their face.

"Orten, Johz, Mika; Attack patter delta." One of the Snipers spoke as he lifted his hand, drawing the winds around him and his comrade's feet. "Wind Walk!"

Orten, the slinger in all white pulled a very large magnum from his holster and a smaller handgun from the other. From inside his coat he pulled a cigarette and flipped it into his mouth with a quick flick. Using a red shell from his pouch, he let the cigarette and took a long drag. With the exhale, the cigarette fell and Orten dashed forward with his guns behind him. Just as he neared Kuroi he leapt into the air, spinning with his guns aimed for Kuroi's head. Kuroi stood steady as a spiral of bullets ripped from the barrels and headed for his head. Moments before impact, a green barrier appeared around Kuroi, turning the bullets into green orbs that merely floated away.

Orten landed on the other side of Kuroi, just ahead of Yumi and smirked.

"Just as planned baby." He said to Yumi as he turned his body, pointing the gun at her face and pulling the trigger.

The gun clicked back and fired, but the bullets were knocked to the ground instantly by Alexander's spear. The other two slingers; Johz the hat wielding slinger and Mika the female slinger, ran side by side, heading for Kuroi. Mika made a small hop, keeping her balance in the air while Johz slid on the ground with his legs fanned out for Kuroi's legs. He swung his legs hard, trying to trip the dark Shura who merely stood there with unflinching confidence. Mika planted her foot into Kuroi's chest, pushing the gun into the barrier and pulling the trigger. Just before the bullets escaped, Kuroi vanished and appeared behind the two so swiftly that Mika had no time to fall and react.

Kuroi pulled his arms back and charged a sphere into his arm. He thrust forward with his arm, but an arrow knocked connected with his bracer, knocking his hand off course. The force emitted from his palm blow a chunk of Mjolnir off, sending the debris down the path and into the trees. The Sniper, Kannon, pointed in Kuroi's direction, commanding the Hounds to attack.

Wave by wave they advanced, gun slingers firing their ordinance, snipers and hunters drawing their bows and releasing their falcons to attack. Some of the slingers took the liberty to run in for close range attacking with acrobatics and close range shots. All seemed fruitless as Kuroi moved between them with ease, leaving after shadows of his body. Yumi pressed her hands to her chest and lifted them into the air, releasing a holy light on the falcons that took them down instantly.

Alexander had been busy facing Orten who kept his attacks swift and unwavering. The large armor of the Dark Guard proved more than the bullets could handle, even without the massive shield on his back. Orten jumped onto Alex's shoulders and shot point blank, but the aura around him reflected the bullet directly back to its source. Orten quickly fell backwards, letting the round fly into the air.

"Alexander! Behind you!" Yumi yelled while putting the green barrier around herself. "Pnuema!"

Alexander turned in an instant. His reflexes and heightened senses allowed him to see the bullets coming for his body. He spun around quickly, drawing his shield, and slamming it before him while he ducked behind it. The bullets ricocheted with sharp pinging noises, sending bullets in various directions. From above, a cloud of sharp arrows threatened to rain over Alex. He lifted the shield and jumped into the air, denying gravity with his mighty leap. His shield gave a glow as he angled it downward towards Johz and Mika who were busy with Kuroi's lightning fast movements. The arrows that touched the shield and bounced off while retaining their momentum as they flew towards the two slingers.

Mika and Johz looked up and dove to opposite sides of each other. To Johz's surprise, Kuroi was awaiting him with an angled palm thrust that shot him backwards and up, back into the arrows. They pierced his back, causing blood to rain from his chest as they exited partway through the flesh. Kuroi jumped up and thrust his shoulder into Johz's mouth, flipping him around in mid air. Mika looked up from the ground and lifted her gun, aiming at Kuroi. Alexander spotted her and directed his weight below him with the shield's pointed bottom directed for her arm. With all of his weight placed at the point of the shield, it ripped through her arm like a cannon ball through a thin layer of tissue.

Mika released a scream that was partially masked by the striking of lightning near them caused by Azulong and Jinzo. Up above, Kuroi continued his assault with a twisting kick to the face and elbow thrust in the back of the neck. As Johz returned around from his spin, Kuroi grabbed his face and landed, holding his body towards the group of Hound members who were persisted with their bullet and arrow barrage. He threw the body into the crowd which struck Kannon as odd. As he watched the body fall, he realized Kuroi's spirit spheres were missing from around his body. With a wide stare he dove to the side, hoping his comrades would do the same.

The body landed and exploded with a furious amount of spiritual energy that ripped more of the mountain asunder. Alexander pulled his now bloody shield up from Mika's arm and looked down at her small body, twisting in pain.

"Allow me to free you from your torment." Alexander spoke as he spun his spear around.

In an instant he jammed the spear into her chest and backed away as his intent pulled a bolt of lightning into the spear, surging the amps through her body. Her heart stopped instantly, leaving her in a burnt and twisted pose. Just as he removed his spear, he turned his attention to the three hounds that were left from Kuroi's attack.

Orten had managed to sneak away in the assault. Above them he pulled the case he had hidden away on the mountain out and opened it. Inside were the pieces to a very powerful sniper rifle; The Atlas 313. With precision and quickness, he assembled the weapon and loaded a cartridge into it. He laid flat, looked through the scope and watched Alexander charge the disorientated hound members. He aimed for Alex's head, pulling the trigger back slowly to prepare for his shot.

Just as the trigger neared the firing position, Orten lifted the gun upward to see Kuroi in the air with fifteen spirit spheres about his being. He fired a shot, but the recoil of not being on the ground caused his aim to move askew. He tried to realign quickly, but was too late.

"Falling…Empire!" Kuroi shouted as his spheres all vanished and he landed atop Orten with deadly force.

The earth beneath Orten sunk into a smooth crater that continued inward for several feet. From the crater, Kuroi stood as the rain swirled around his body. Back where Alexander and Yumi were, Alex had finally reached the now standing hound members. In mere seconds, he grabbed Kannon and swung him into the mountain's side, using the same inertia of the swing to pull his shield free and slam the pointed edge into Kannon's face, splitting it wide open. Quickly he left the shield which was now implanted in the rock face and darted for the two remaining hounds. One had just stood and took aim with his machine gun. He unloaded with great inaccuracy which only made the bullets hit the impenetrable armor Alexander donned. He grabbed the attacker with one arm and continued his charge until he reached the other. She looked up, but was quickly snatched up by the large guard who kept running forward.

Near the edge of the cliff, Alex jumped into the air and held the two below him. He somersaulted forward, using the energy to catapult the two down to the sharp rocks below. They both flew down with no chance of stopping until their bodies collided with the earth below. Still in the air, Alexander laughed and looked down to see a warp portal opening. He dove into it, arriving next to Yumi who simply prayed quickly, healing the slight injuries he took.

Kuroi stepped from the disaster zone he created and only looked up to see Izanagi and Izanami fighting one another with two bright lights between them. Up above Azulong and Jinzo kept their battle raging with furious slashing that their giant avatars reacted to with attacks of their own. Another slash from Azulong soared through the sky, creating a vacuum in the air. Jinzo placed his middle and index finger in front of his face and said a small chant which created a barrier in front of him.

Down below the fight Sho and Salamander arrived with their hopes high. Sho watched in amazement at the two large beings fighting in the sky, only being controlled by their human masters. Salamander turned to see Wolfe approaching the two. He tapped Sho on the shoulders and pointed out the assaulters. Sho sighed and shook his head.

"Why couldn't they have just stayed behind!? Gah, dammit. Might as well deal with these two I suppose." He spoke with displeasure as he drew his knife and vanished.

Salamander pulled a bottle from his jacket and drank its contents. He shivered slightly as his veins pulsed a few times before settling down. More bottles came from his jacket, the same that destroyed the wolf at the time of their arrival. He held them both in one hand, taking a position to target properly.

Wolfe's mount skidded to a stop as he himself jumped off and took aim with his bow. He fired one arrow then immediately another right after. Both flew for Salamander with pinpoint accuracy. Salamander dove tried to make a dive, but both arrows shot into his leg, making their way through the bone. Salamander bit down to avoid screaming and stared back at Wolfe with the bottles ready. He threw both of them quickly, using the time of their flight to try and pull the arrows free from his body, but the double angled edges saw to it that it'd be an impossible feat.

Wolfe ducked under the bottles and drew another arrow in his bow, aiming for Salamander's head.

"Where's your bitch ass leader?" He asked, no remorse in his voice at all.

Sho appeared behind Wolfe with the blade drawn to his skin. He pulled back quickly, going for the easy kill but was denied when a bullet sunk into his shoulder from behind. He dropped the knife and turned around slowly to see the ebony woman gunslinger holding a scoped magnum.

"Good work Nebel, I figured he's show his face soon enough." Wolfe spoke while turning to aim his bow at Sho's head.

Jinzo's attention was drawn by the sound of the gunshot. He turned to its origin, searching out the cause. Azulong wasted no time capitalizing on this grave mistake. He closed in, stabbing his brother through the stomach with the crystal sword in an instant. Above them, Izanagi did the same to Izanami, though due to size difference, the blade pierced her chest instead.

Jinzo's mouth was soon filled with blood as he looked down at the warm liquid leave his body. He slowly began to descend with Azulong, the cold blade not moving an inch while inside of him.

"Onii-san, you have forgotten your training. Though your dedication to Haha-ue is admirable, it has made your heart strong, but your flesh weak. Give Chichi-ue my regards when you see him in Valhalla." Azulong spoke in their native tongue as he lifted the blade and pulled out, splattering blood over his white kimono.

Just as the two fell, lightning struck and Wolfe released the drawn bow and the arrow that followed. Sho had a grin on his face as he finished the mark on the ground beneath him. A blue portal appeared beneath he and Wolfe and pulled them both away just before the arrow made contact with Sho's head.

Nebel looked around frantically, hoping to find where her boss had gone. Salamander had not been lying around idly by. While he'd been on the ground, he tied multiple bottles of acid and his fire bottles together. When he rolled over to see the slinger still searching, he launched the bunch at her. She instinctively took her gun and fired rounds into the incoming cluster of doom only to have the bullets free the contents which mixed in mid air. The corrosive acid and the flaming liquid landed on her unarmed shoulder, scorching through her clothes, skin and muscle until it ate though the whole arm.

She drop3ped her gun and fell to the ground in an ear shattering scream that did nothing to dull the pain away. Salamander pour a small amount of acid on the arrow's shafts until they melted through, snapping away instantly to allow him to pull the parts away. His leg began to sizzle as the cells entered rapid regeneration. The wounds closed and he shivered again before standing slowly, tapping his feet to the ground to make sure his wounds were sound.

Nebel gritted her teeth hard while she crawled on the ground, trying to reach for her gun. Salamander stepped over and kicked the gun down the path and watched it tumble down the cliff side. He lifted a bottle of acid over her head and laughed maniacally.

"Ohohohoho! You should have just became an acolyte and traveled the world to heal to the sick. Nope! Instead you choose to become a gunslinger and join a bunch of men and women who think they're cowboys. Now look at you, missing an arm and about to add a head to the list of missing things." He taunted as he uncapped the acid and tilted the bottle to the side.

The acid neared the edge of the green glass bottle, Salamander felt a cold chill run through his body. He looked down to see a white wave of energy pierce through his and Nebel's body. He dropped the bottle onto her and fell to his knee's where his body split diagonally causing blood to pour from his severed arteries and veins. Azulong resheathed his blade and stood over the two.

"You do not belong here, so to maintain order you had to be eliminated. I hope you find rest in the next life…" He said coldly as the clouds in the sky began to clear up.

On the other side of Mjolnir, Sho and Wolfe appeared out of nowhere and ended up tumbling down the side of the mountain. Mud and wet rocks made it much harder for them to come to a halt which would have been useful at the moment. While falling, Sho rolled himself upright and dug his foot down, causing him to launch upward slightly. With that movement, he grabbed Wolfe by the throat and slammed his head on the rocks behind them while they continued to fall.

At the bottom of the slant, they both came to a crashing stop, leaving both down on the ground. Sho's wound had been thoroughly pelted with rocks and other debris from the fall and the back of Wolfe's head had been opened from Sho's aerial sneak attack. Wolfe watched Sho on the ground upside down while he himself tried to get to his feet. Sho groaned and looked up, trying to get his bearings straight. As he peered at the clearing sky, the rain that had been in suspension finally came crashing down in one fluid motion above them, leaving them soaked.

It took a minute, but Sho stood up with his hand over his shoulder. He watched Wolfe stand and ran over to him, jumping atop of him with his blade trained for his throat. Wolfe growled in the struggle, trying to push back without cutting his hand or stabbing himself. With quick thinking he kneed Sho in the back, flipping him over his head and onto his back. Wolfe got to his feet quick and pulled his stiletto blade free from its quick release and dove for Sho.

Sho rolled quickly, letting Wolfe slide in the mud and rocks. He winced as he stood from his shoulder wound, trying to ignore the pain.

"Tell me royal dog, do you do everything the king says like a good little bitch?" Sho barked out with one eye closed.

"You shut your filthy mouth! I do what I want, when I want. Now if you'd just stay still I can send you to Ant hell just like that stupid whore of yours!" Wolfe retorted with the blade held out in front of him.

"…For that…I'm going to cut your tongue from your mouth and feed it to you…" Sho said while he released his arm and vanished.

Wolfe looked around and backed up trying to find some cover for his back. He checked the ground, hoping to see any sign of Sho approaching him. He slashed in the air in front of him, blinding hoping for a hit.

"Come on out! Stop hidin' like a pussy!" Wolfe shouted out in the open.

Near the area they fell, Sho reached out and grabbed Wolfe's bow which then vanished along with him. Wolfe stopped moving and listened, smelled and looked around, trying to find the slightest hint of Sho, but nothing. This was his worst nightmare, an untraceable target. He turned sharply, thinking he heard something from behind him. In his arrow case, a single arrow floated from inside and vanished. The subtle movements caused Wolfe to turn again with a quick slash.

Sho's jacket fell to the ground with a slash mark on one of the belts. Wolfe grabbed the jacket and smelled it, picking up Sho's scent. To his dismay, the various elements had already masked his scent well enough that his ability was rendered useless that fast. He grew increasingly angry, not liking the situation he was in this time. He reached into the pouch on his side and pulled two grenades free. He pulled the pin on one and threw it into the dirt away from him. The explosion splattered mud, rocks and tree fragments in a wide area, but nothing Wolfe was looking for. He pulled the pin on the other and threw it in another direction.

The mud splattered again, splashing on Sho's body. Wolfe turned, hearing the sound of mud hitting skin behind him. He grinned with the knife out, but his grin soon vanished from his face when he saw the arrow just before it entered the center of his face and out the back of his head. Wolfe tried to speak, but his brain had been pierced, leaving him only able to stand there.

Sho smirked and approached Wolfe with his knife coming from his pants. He took the blade, opened Wolfe's mouth and slice his tongue free from the bonds of his mouth. With the same motion he pushed his tongue into the back of his throat, making him swallow it before he fell over in death. As his latest foe fell, he looked at the bow and decided to keep it, but not without the arrows on Wolfe's back. He took the shoulder holster for the bow and the arrow quiver to strap on his back. With that he looked up at the mountain's apex and sighed before opening another dimension door.

"See ya bitch!" He said to Wolfe's corpse before jumping into the portal.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Chaos

The skies had finally come to a quiet rest after the fearsome battle of the brothers. Azulong could feel the others on Mjolnir heading his way. He stood ready with his hand on his blade, prepared to draw instantly at the slightest movement. Though the area was quiet, the small sound of fizzing caught his ear. He turned quickly with his sword already coming out of the scabbard, but he stopped mid pull when Salamander's body sat upright and began pulling itself together.

With groans and grunts, the body that was once severed had begun a process of rebonding. The bones nudged back into place and welded close in seconds. Layers of muscle began to form over and over until the redness returned to the slice. Last, the skin formed over the wound and closed with a bubbling reaction afterwards that subsided. With a sickening crack, Salamander straightened his spine and neck before jumping up and looking at Azulong.

"Well now, guess that's what I get for not paying attention. Luckily I took a precaution in case the slinger was too much." He said while standing still to let the rest of the nerves and muscles reconnect.

Azu had yet to encounter such a technique and thus he wondered.

"What mysticism is this?" He asked, cautiously taking a step forward.

Down below, just as Kuroi, Alexander and Yumi were nearing the top, Sho appeared above them in a flash of blue. He landed on one knee in front of the party and looked up to them.

"Won't have to worry about Mr. Hound anymore, he'll be joining the rest of his incompetent group." He stood but grabbed his wounded shoulder and looked at his healing hand. "Yumi!"

She jumped to attention.

"Uh yes!?" She answered, almost frightened.

"Take care of this will ya?" He asked as he propped his body up against the rock beside him. She ran over and instantly began to release healing energy into his wound. The green light penetrated deep into the wound and began to heal it from the inside out. Slowly the open hole closed with no visible marking that a scar ever existed.

"Good as new huh? Guess we will have to keep you around." Sho said after standing straight up and looking at the path. "Come on, let's keep going.

The continued on until the peak greeted them. The moment they spotted Salamander and Azulong, the same flash of white flew for Sho's head. In that instant his eyes gave a yellow glow and he quickly drew his knife, mimicking the same movements Azulong made. A black flash shot from his blade and struck Azulong's canceling it out.

"How is it you can use the soul blade technique?" Azulong inquired.

"Anything you can do, so can I, but that's beside the point. We've been looking for you Azulong and finally we get to meet. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Sho Seki, lea-"

"Sho Seki? Your jest does not amuse me. I do not know how you know that name, but I assure you that your kidding will end here. "His words ending with his blade being freed from the scabbard and swung with great might, sending another soul blade for Sho.

Kuroi appeared before the blade and held his hands out. His hands wrapped around the soul blade and pulled it apart like a small twig. Azulong's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He swung multiple times, faster than any normal person could see let alone count. Kuroi summoned the spheres and began firing them one by one into the blades that came from Azu. Though he tried to match the speed, some of them flew through his defense. Alexander stepped in quickly with his shield, taking the hits dead on behind the wall of metal, but even still some flew by and turned around, heading for Sho. Sho laughed and began to circle his feet with his finger. A pinkish glow surrounded him and the other two without wait. The soul blades approached them, but were dematerialized and absorbed into Sho.

"I grow tired of these games. I will put an end to you once and for all!" Azu yelled while he again summoned the Izanagi blade.

He lifted the blade to the sky, chanted the summoning oath and threw the blade into the air this time. From his body, an ethereal arm appeared holding Izanagi's sword. Without wasting any time, Azu swung the blade while turning his body for maximum output.

"Tyrant's blade!!" Azu's voice echoed through the air as the blade turned white and fired a large soul blade.

Alexander and Kuroi both jumped into the air, taking a defensive stance to endure the attack. Yumi placed her hands together and began to pray.

"Kyrie Eleison!! Her words echoing as well as a shielding light appeared around Kuroi.

Kuroi summoned more spheres and stomped hard. His muscles tensed up and his spheres created a defensive aura around him.

"Steel body!!" He shouted while holding his arms out to take the damage.

Sho watched and leapt in ahead of them with his finger tracing something in the air. Just as the blade approached them, he finished his outline and the blade was instantly absorbed into a blue portal. They all landed beside one another. Sho folded his arms and looked at Azulong.

"We didn't come to fight. We came to- "His words were cut off by Azu jumping into the air.

The ground began to quake much more than before. Azu muttered a chant to himself and raised Izanagi's sword. Energy began to charge, causing the arm and sword to become more and more visible. His body somersaulted forward while picking speed. Faster and faster he went until his body resembled a smith's saw.

"Zero's Division!!" His voice radiate from the rotating mass of energy that suddenly began to expand rapidly.

Everyone's eyes widened as the blade ripped into Mjolnir, slicing further and further into the rock. The blade spew trees, boulders and animals in every direction as it flew through the mountain. Azulong had no intention of letting the one he thought to be an imposter escape. He poured the energy into the blade, making it stretch further until he'd nearly reached the ground. The rotating saw blade began to slow down, soon Azulong was visible again. He descended to the edge of the giant chasm he just effectively created.

He just stood there, reveling in the damage he caused. Smoke gently poured from the gash due to the friction of the slice. With a shrug he took a step, but quickly stopped when Sho jumped out of nowhere with blade drawn. He turned to draw his blade, but Sho was already too close. He placed the knife to his throat and grabbed Azu's arm. He stood behind him, breathing hard, but still grinning.

"Not bad Azu, heh but not good enough. Now I'm going to tell you this one more time. We're not here to fight you, but after that little display I'm not so sure I want to keep you alive." Sho said.

"Then make your cut swift or release me and allow me to make mine. Either way, one of us is on borrowed time." Azu replied coldly.

Sho laughed and released Azulong with his hand shown. The Advent's symbol began to glow on his hand, showing his claim to be valid. Azu gazed at the mark only for a moment, but he knew right away what it was. He gasped and knelt down with his head bowed low.

"I have been a fool. My great ancestor wrote of The Advents and how they would make their return. When you mentioned the name, I thought it was an impossible dream to hope they had finally returned. I deserve whatever punishment you enact." Azulong pleaded.

Sho looked around and shrugged. He placed his hand above Azu's head and made him one of The Advents. Azulong gasped at his life being spared. He raised his head, but caught a fist to the face instead.

"That's for nearly killing me and my crew dammit!" Sho shouted. "Speaking of my crew."

He placed his fingers in his mouth and blew a high pitched whistle. Alexander stood from a pile of rubble with parts of his armor broken and tattered. With his hand on his head, he shook it trying to regain his balance.

"Goodness, I never imagined such a power like that. I guess we came ill prepared." He said as he stood.

Yumi peeked from a broken tree, looking around for the others. She came from the other side with her outfit dirty and torn. She stood beside Sho and began to heal both he and Azulong. Alexander joined them, also receiving healing from Yumi.

From the nearby chasm, Kuroi jumped up with smoke around his body. His body was perfectly intact from his steel body technique. It just so happens it canceled just as he landed on the edge. He only looked at Sho, folded his arms and nodded. Salamander whistled himself and pushed a small mountain of rubble from his body, his shirt and jacket now completely ripped off from the rest of his outfit. He joined the others and received more healing from Yumi.

Well well, I suppose it's time that the Advents were finally reunited. I hereby declare us The Advents, the most powerful guild to walk this earth." Sho said.

He looked up to the sky, his mind started to run through the many plans to get to the royal family. Just when things looked up more, Sho felt a sudden shock through his body. He lurched forward and gasped for air with his hands on his knees.

"Sho! What's wrong?" Yumi asked, kneeling down to his level.

He tried to talk but he couldn't breathe. It was the same feeling as before in the tomb of The Advents. The black emperium reappeared before him and released a tendril into his pocket. The others backed away, watching the emperium pull the black crystal from Glast Heim. It wrapped the tendril around the entire object and jammed it into Sho's chest where his heart is. He released a deafening scream as he fell to the ground and rolled around. His skin darkened slightly and his eye color shifted to a shade of grey.

He sat up, still taking giant breaths of air while he was helped up by Alexander. He looked up at the emperium which floated just above his head.

"O black guardian of disaster, we call upon thee to execute our will as The Advents! Bring forth Chaos!" Sho shouted into the air.

The ground quaked again, pouring rocks and trees into Azulong's man made canyon. From the ground a red ring of light appeared. From the ring jets of blue fire shot into the air, changing the temperature around the area. A large gauntlet shot out and landed onto the ground. The flames filled the gauntlet, creating an arm that clawed into the ground. More armor poured from the flames, and connected until a suit of black, spiked armor stood before The Advents. The flames created the body of the summon with the face coming in last, a distorted flamed image that looked down at Sho. It knelt down in the air bowed its head to Sho.

Sho looked up at Chaos and gave a half smirk since he was still suffering from the pain. He stood up, using Alexander as a brace and lifted his branded hand to Chaos. The Advent symbol appeared on its breast plate and forehead. The black emperium vanished from sight and with it, Chaos did as well.

Back in Prontera, a swordsman ran through the halls, breathing hard and stumbling over his own feet. He sped along the corridors until he reached the King's quarters where the king's guards stopped him.

"No one is allowed in this section, leave now or we will use force." One said to him.

"No! Listen! There's something happening on Mjolnir, it's been split in half!" The panicked swordsman spoke.

The guards looked at each other and ran towards the window to look outside. Sure enough, the mountain had been severed. Had it been possible, their eyes would have left their skull. They turned quickly and ran back to the king's door, rapping the door with their fist.

"Sire! Sire there's something wrong with Mjolnir!" The guards yelled.

The king awoke from his sleep and rubbed his eyes. The covers he wore were thrown to the side as he stood up and went to the door. He opened the door in great haste and looked at the two guards and swordsman.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded to know.

"Sire! Mjolnir has been divided in half!" One of the guards spoke.

"Preposterous! There is only one force on this planet that has that power and I am in possession of said force." He said as he made his way towards the window.

Indeed the mountain had been split and he was now eating his words. He took a step back and looked to the three men.

"Rally my men; I want them in the audience room immediately!" He ordered just before making his way downstairs.

No more than a minute had passed before the king's party had begun to arrive. Seban had already been present since he was usually on duty at this time. Alverk followed in her blue night gown and stood with a salute. Terra and Lina came in, both of them underdressed for the room. Edgar stepped in with only his pants on and Cortez followed in with pajama pants.

"What's going on sire?" Seban asked.

"Wait, where's Wolfe and Jinzo?" The king asked while looking around.

"Neither were in their room sire and the guards say they haven't checked in for hours." Seban reported.

The king lowered his eyes and looked outside at Mjolnir. His eyes opened wide when Chaos appeared atop the mountain. He couldn't believe his eyes, an enemy of the past appeared before him.

"C-Chaos? How is that possible?! He was said to be lost decades ago." He spoke quietly to himself.

While watching The Advent symbol appear on Chaos' body, he noticed a bloody figure limping towards the west gate of Prontera. The king pointed to Alverk and Seban and issued and order.

"Go to the west gate, bring the one you find there to me!" His words were rushed and filled with panic.

Minutes late they returned with one of the hound members who was on the verge of dying. He spat up blood and coughed while being supported by the two.

"S-sire, Sho and The Advents…They're on Mjolnir! They destroyed our entire platoon, I'm the only one alive…" He coughed and closed his eyes. "I saw master Wolfe killed…."

Seban laid the dying man down on the ground and placed a pile of books with a shirt atop them underneath his bloody head.

"They are powerful my lord, much more powerful than we gave them credit for. Master Wolfe brought along the Amatsu man, but he vanished before we could find Sho. He said something about reaching Azulong before Sho did….And…And….He…" He tried to continue speaking, but his life was brought to an end with his final breath.

The king heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked at the group of individuals in his presence and shook his head.

"I'm not going to lie to you all, we're against an enemy I wish could have been eradicated long ago, but that is not the case. So I will put this simply, prepare for war for I fear Sho will be bringing it to us. I cannot guarantee we are fully prepared for this threat, but I can say that we have some of the best there is at what they do. Please aid the royal family in defending against Sho and The Advents!" He spoke with his head down, much more worry and even fear passing over his body.

"Yes Sire!" they all spoke with the exception of Cortez who wrote it out in the air with an accompanying smiley face.

With their new hope, the party left the room while speaking to each other. They each returned to their rooms, but couldn't sleep. They stared outside at the now split mountain, wondering what exactly they would have to face in the future. The king sat in his room at the desk, looking at a photo of his children.

"May the Valkyries keep you safe my children… For if not I do not believe I can maintain my sanity nor rationality." He placed his hand on the photo and peered back outside at the place where Chaos had been.

Tomorrow would be a new day and he knew the city would be in an uproar.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Setting the stage

Morning drew in from the shattered remains of Mjolnir. The sun delicately peeked over Prontera's walls to reveal many a person outside of Prontera castle raising fits on the events of last night. They all screamed at the blockade of guards, asking for answers and demanding something to be done.

"I heard it was just a stalker who did it!" A woman shouted over the others.

"I saw it last night! It was a Precor Deus that split the mountain! Who else could have one now!?" A man screamed while holding his child's hand.

"Someone said it was The Advents!" Another added.

"The Advents?! That's not possible!" Someone else finished.

Mutters and rumors began to fly around the crowd until a whistle gained their attention. From behind the crowd, Lina and Terra approached the masses after some early morning shopping with bags under their arms. They pressed through the tangled mess of hands, loose clothes and legs until they reached the blockade. The angry crowd returned to their shouting and muttering while they passed by. The guards let them through then reformed the wall to keep the angry public at bay. Terra stood atop the stairs and raised her hands.

"Please everyone, we need you to calm down!" She shouted, trying to subdue the rage of the people, but to no avail. "I will not ask twice, it would be in your best interests to shut up!"

The people pressed on, yelling, shouting and some even going as far as to throw rocks at the guards. Terra sighed and placed her hand to her head before raising the other to the sky,

"Varetyr spear!!" She shouted before the clouds parted, releasing a giant thunderous spear that landed just ahead of her, that shook the ground.

The attack caused the crowd to duck and cower with screams filling the spaces between them. They remained pacified while they looked up at Terra.

"Now listen! We know well enough how you feel. Unfortunately we don't know much about our foe at this present moment. As some of you may have heard, yes it is a stalker by the name of Sho Seki and yes, he has somehow resurrected The Advents." She began to explain.

Gasps, whispers and mutters began to spread around the field of people. Lina clapped her hands and pointed.

"She's not finished! Shut up!" She commanded.

"Indeed. We don't know their numbers nor their target. All we know is that they have acquired power and may be trying to use that power to cause harm to the royal family as well as Prontera. We strongly urge you to remain calm, return to your normal lives and allow us to handle this crisis. Thank you." Terra finished before heading back into the castle with Lina.

"….Remain calm and stay here? Is this bitch crazy?" One man spoke from the audience. "I'm getting the hell out of here!"

Just as he spoke others followed him in a rush, trying to return home to pack. Others kept their faith in the royal family and did as Terra advised. They hoped their unwavering faith would be rewarded with salvation.

Inside Seban stood by the stairs in his civilian gear with his back against the railing.

"What exactly are you doing? The king did not order anyone to publically speak on the incident or attack the civvies. Explain yourself this instant!" He demanded as he folded his arms.

Terra reached into her bag and pulled an apple free from within. She tossed it to Seban and pulled one out herself.

"You need one of those; it'll make you less crabby." She took a bite from her own apple and gave an annoyed look to Seban. "Now to answer your question, I quelled the chaos for a little bit of time. The Advents thrive on chaos so we cannot allow the people to fall into such. If the truth is required to keep the civilian panic level down, then so be it. If they have some shred of peace, we don't have to worry about them in the long run Seban."

"Even so-" Seban began.

"She is correct." The king's voice sounded as he came from upstairs in his royal adornment. "Chaos cannot be allowed to prosper In my kingdom, for if it does, we have already lost. In any case the crusaders have swept Mjolnir for hours. Nothing but the dead were found. Among the Hounds were Wolfe and Jinzo who will be given a proper burial with Wolfe's men."

Seban looked down in dismay. He hated to know that comrades of his had died to the acts of evil. With his fist clenched, he punched the nearby wall, cracking it open and sending dust to the floor.

"Dammit! I knew he would go out on his own! But to drag Jinzo with him is another thing, now they're both dead!" Seban exclaimed with his feelings pouring out.

"Dead?" Edgar asked while coming from the bathroom nearby. "So my assumptions were true. I thought they would have had a better chance against The Advents, but it seems they have proven themselves worthy adversaries."

"Don't give them too much credit, we're supposed to be enemies remember?!" Lina childishly spoke out.

"Anyway, we need to regroup and discuss our future actions. We cannot allow These dangerous individuals to roam free and create more chaos. You will all meet in the audience room in one hour and please bring the others with you." The king announced while making his way down the red carpeted hallway.

Sitting away in the slums of Lighthalzen were the Advents. They chose the location due to lack of security and of course they were outside of the royal family's eyes and ears. The locals had cleared out of a shack when word that The Advents were in town. Inside the shack, they all ran through plan after plan, all but Sho.

"I'm telling you, an all out assault on the kingdom is what we should do!" Salamander suggested.

"And exactly how do you propose we do that? Just rush in with the six of us and fight the legions of guards and knights? Not to mention the aid they can summon at a moment's notice due to their pull in the world. Oh, and before I can forget, Seban supposedly has a Precor Deus as well as Tristram, well?" Alexander countered.

"Wait a minute…" Sho spoke finally from his gaze outside. "They do have pull in the world, but that can work in our favor. Hehe."

"W-what's the plan sir?" Yumi inquired.

"We'll put their fame to work. A tactical strike on different places to spread their soldiers thin over the places they're most allied with, that's my plan. We strike major points that will cause the king to ship his men out for aid." He began while standing.

"But we'll have to do something massive and I mean massive! Otherwise they won't care, what do you propose?" Azulong added with his arm propped on the old dinky table and his other on the scabbard.

"Hmm good question… "He said quietly, wrapping his finger partway around his chin.

He snapped his fingers and gave an evil grin. The others perked up slightly to listen in on their new plan.

"A series of things will take place. First, we sink Juno and destroy the alchemy guild's top research facility. Next, we assault Geffen and take down the mage lineage, and then we'll round up some 'extra' help and head Rachel to have ourselves a good ol fashion massacre." Sho explained before pointing to each one of his members. "Alexander, you and Salamander will be taking down Juno. You will use one of Sal's homunculi to record and send it to the King, which will get him moving. Kuroi, you, Yumi and Azu will be taking out the magic lineage, once you've taken down the elders there, turn your attention to Geffen tower. Make sure it doesn't see the light of tomorrow. "

"And you?" Kuroi pondered, sitting in the darkest corner of the small shack.

"I'll be procuring our reinforcements and if you all are there, it's going to cause some problems." He told them. "But first…..A little upgrading hehe."

With his words sitting on their minds, he called the black emperium out once again and held it out to them. From outside, people could see a flash that grew from the shack and out into the dark air. Many of them ran towards the outskirts of the dirty, broke down town in fear of what was happening. Sho stepped out after seconds of being inside with a sense of satisfaction that reflected on his face.

Back in Prontera, Alverk sat outside in a long blue dress on a bench next to the fountain. The people near her always brought her the will to protect them. She sighed when she turned her head slightly to see the destroyed remains of Mjolnir, but her sigh was interrupted by a person sneaking up and grabbing her.

"Hiii! ~" Lina shouted from behind with a happy smile on her face.

"Great Odin's ghost Lina, you nearly caught a spiral pierce!" Alverk warned jokingly.

With a spring in her step she waltzed around to the front of the bench and bent forward to Lina.

"Why don't we go for a walk? Clear that head of yours huh?" She proposed.

"N-No I'm fine, really. Besides my shift is coming up soon and I have to prepare." She retorted.

Lina didn't take no for an answer, she grabbed Alverk's arm and yanked her from the bench onto her sandals and laughed. With a playful tug, Alverk had no choice but to follow behind.

"So tell me, what's on your mine then missy." Lina said, keeping her eyes on the road as she spoke.

"Well…It's the people. I took an oath to protect them all and in light of all of the events, it's getting pretty unnerving. I still have much to learn if I wish to be anywhere as great as Master Seban or Alterin." She spoke well of her superiors.

Lina nodded and touched her lip with her index finger. She put herself in Alverk's position and knew how she'd feel if it'd been her. Down the street at the armory, Alterin and Seban coincidentally departed from the store with their chest plate being carried under their arms. Lina involuntarily raised her hand and called out to them.

"Heeey!~ Over heeere!~" She screamed out with a waving hand.

Alterin noticed them and nudged his head towards them in acknowledgement. They approached the two ladies and waved.

"What are you two doing out here?" Alterin asked.

Being the soldier she is, Alverk saluted and stood to attention.

"Um, sir! I was preparing for my shift sir!" She said in soldier protocol.

Alterin laughed and shook his head,

"Relax Alverk, we're all off duty at the moment, you don't have to be so formal. Alterin will do fine out here okay?" He explained to her.

She only nodded and gave a half smile, not knowing how to do some things outside of being a soldier.

"Well Seban, how do you feel about this whole Sho and Advents thing? It's got Alverk here in a bunch." Lina spoke up.

Alverk popped Lina on the back and grumbled,

"Lina!" She expressed.

"What!? It does! ~" She countered.

"Hmm well to be honest, I will not let my mind give them acknowledgment, to me they are nothing more than fugitives and enemies of the family. If we allow our feelings to come into play, we have already added a weakness to ourselves." He responded with a smile. "Besides, it's a limited number of them and all of us. They stand no chance."

They all looked at each other and laughed before heading towards the castle. Meanwhile out in the desert, a warp portal shot Sho out, leaving him in front of a large temple with a plethora of stairs. He looked up at the entrance and spat at the stairs.

"Think I'm climbing these again? Shit, my ass I am." He said before opening a dimension door and jumping into it and coming back out at the top of the stairs.

He walked into the entrance where he was greeted with two assassin crosses, an assassin and an old man. The two assassin crosses vanished and the assassin smirked.

"Weeeeell well, looks who it is. The man who couldn't finish his assassin's test and deserted us. That made you a rogue and we don't like rogues Sho!" The assassin spoke the instant the Sin X's appeared with katars drawn.

Though Sho had walked in and had been talking, his voice was actually echoing in the room. The old man narrowed his eyes and moved back behind one of the pillars, knowing well enough how dangerous Sho was years ago. The Sin X katars flew into Sho, ripping into his skin and into the bone. Their attacks were incredibly fast, leaving no time between strikes for the body parts to fall. The onslaught was complete and Sho lay in a mass of blood and parts. The Sins turned around and grinned, but the parts began to glow by their feet. The glowing pieces radiated bright before exploding behind them, spraying them across the room and onto the assassin whose face changed to something above shock and awe.

Sho appeared from behind him with his blade jammed into the assassin's head.

"Oh Lalin, you always had a mouth on you. I'm sure your master didn't care for your attitude or mouth, let alone your sloppy skills. Hopefully you burn in hell with your bitch of a mother." His voice rash and hard as he yanked the blade free of its skull imprisonment.

"Well then, I see you've learned some new tricks Shodelth." The old man said with an exquisite accent as he stepped back into view.

"You know me Benjamin, I have to keep up face with these bastards. Anyway where is he?" He asked, knowing that Benjamin knew who he was referring to.

"Ah yes, master is in the basement, training." He replied as he held his arm out to welcome Sho to enter.

Down he went making his way into the deep reaches of the training grounds. Below was one of the most feared men in Sograt, the guillotine cross known only as Three and he had the habit of training with some of the most fearsome monsters to walk the earth; Tamruan. Sho stepped into the room, the smell of pain, sweat and anger filled his nostrils. Near the center of the room, Sho saw Three going to town on two red faced monsters. The raging monsters carried large swords that swung with monstrous speed and power behind them.

Three ducked under one of the Tam's blade and jumped over the other. He crossed his blades in front of his chest and grinded the blades forward until a purple blast of energy ripped free and tore into one of the Tam's head.

"Soul Breaker!!" Three's voice echoed in the room as he landed and turned his attention to the other Tam. "Come on, you have one chance to kill me…"

The Tam growled and opened its mouth wide, releasing a spiraling ball of fire towards Three. Three scoffed and jammed his katars into the flames with a slight twist. Just as he began pulling them back, they began changing.

"The Katars of Raging Blaze." Sho said to himself.

The katars were now red with flame-like designs on the interior of the blade. He gave them a look over and took position to run. He ran over quickly, leaving doubles of himself in his stead. With a duck under the incoming blade he arrived behind the Tam with all intention to do harm.

"Die!" His voice escaped with a low, almost inaudible tone.

Three began to stab the Tam in the back multiple times with great speed and accuracy, moving up its spine with each stab. The Tam tried to scream but its body burst into a black flame that reduced its body into ash. He swung the katars down and kicked the ash away before taking a deep breath in.

"So…Shodelth, you have thirteen seconds to explain why you're here before I remove your soul." He said while standing from his assault.

"Simple Three, I want to hire you. You and about forty of your best men." He said with a smug grin.

"Psh you must have forgotten your little stunt years ago, not to mention that little outbreak upstairs. Have you forgotten I see all in this temple?" Three said while holding his blade for Sho's head.

"What if I had a wonderful proposition for you Three?" He asked.

"Time's up Sho." He said before vanishing and reappearing beside Sho in no more than a second.

"What if I said you could break King Tristram's Emperium?" He spoke just as the katar's blade neared his throat.

Three suddenly stopped, but kept his blade to Sho's neck.

"Speak." Was all he said.  
"I'm taking down the royal family and I'm going to need an army for the last part of my performance. I'll give you the emperium to break so long as I can take the king's head." Sho offered.

"And how do I know this will work?" Three pondered with an unbelieving smirk.

"Oh, I give you my word as leader of The Advents Three. Besides, I owe you a hell of a debt from the last time I was around." He promised while holding his arm out to show The Advent's symbol.

Three pulled his blade back and held his arms down.

"I see, so you've found it huh? Well then. I'll take your word on it, but I swear to you if you screw me over I'll personally retrieve your head and the bodies of your comrades." He assured.

"Then we have a deal. I'll contact you when I'll need you all. Until then, make sure your men are extremely prepared, it's going to be one hell of a performance." Sho said with a laugh while walking back up the stairs to leave Three to his training. "One hell of a performance indeed."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: That sinking feeling

Finally acting on their mission, Salamander and Alexander stood with the other passengers aboard the airship heading for Juno. They kept quiet among the mass of chit chat and mutters that filled the ship, avoiding any attention for now. Through the clouds ahead of the ship, Juno slowly came into focus for the passengers. Sal tapped Alexander on the shoulder and smirked. Alexander nodded and drew his spear from behind him and took a deep breath. With a quick turn he pierced three of the passengers, causing others to turn in shock. Salamander in his new gear grabbed a seed from his jacket and threw it onto the deck of the ship. The seed dug down into the wood and expanded into a large bundle of vines with large mouths atop. The vines shot around the deck, grabbing people and pulling them further into their clutches, releasing screams of terror and pain into the air.

Alexander cornered a group of the passengers and laughed as he threw his hands into the air, charging energy into them. He slammed his hands to the deck, releasing the stored energy into a black cross shaped wave of energy. The people reached out for salvation, but were caught by the blast and destroyed. Salamander turned his attention to the last few passengers who were on the verge of jumping ship. He grabbed another seed, a black one this time, and threw it over board. Within seconds a jagged stalk of spines shot upward and grazed the ship, taking the few passengers by surprise as they were carried up by the sharp spines. Salamander and Alex laughed with each other and headed inside of the ship, making their way to the captain's bridge.

"Remember, once this crashes, we'll have exactly ten minutes until the next one arrives for us to hijack. So I'll get to the drive system while you hold them off for eight minutes, I'll then take the system down. I'll have two minutes to return to the surface and we both get aboard the ship. Got it?" Sal asked Alex.

"Indeed, now then." He said while kicking the door to the bridge open. "Let's introduce ourselves to the captain and his men hehehe."

Horrible screams came from the bridge that echoed down the empty halls. With no one at the helm, the ship lost control and began a slow veer off to the left. Salamander pulled free a vial of acid and dripped the corrosive cocktail onto the control panel, causing mayhem to breakout in the wiring. Soon the ship came to a pivot and continued on a steady march towards the floating city.

Wasting no time, Alex and Sal made their way back to the deck and stood on the railing.

"Wait for it. Almost…Now!" Sal shouted as he took to the skies, spreading his body out to catch the wind.

Alexander followed after, holding his arms out despite his heavy armor. Salamander took one of his homunculus eggs from his pants and inserted it into an incubation tube. With a quick shake he threw the tube to the ground. The instant the glass broke, gelatinous ooze spread across the surface below them, giving them plenty of space to land. Sal angled himself forward, picking up speed until he dove into the soft gel of the homunculus. Alexander flipped backward, pointing his feet downward to pick up speed as well. His descent was slowed greatly when he touched the ooze, allowing him to hit the bottom smoothly and slide out of the side.

"Well, that seemed to work a lot better than I figured huh?" Salamander asked himself while he collected a sample of the homunculus, leaving the rest to die.

Alexander looked back to watch the ship crash directly into a good portion of buildings in the city. Fire broke out which spread to the gas tanks, setting them off along with various other things in the neighborhood and in the ship. People who survived the ship's plowing ran to the streets, holding limbs, carrying the injured and screaming at the top of their lungs for help. Soon enough guards swarmed the crash site, dowsing the flames with water magic and hoses.

Alexander cracked his neck and ran towards the crowd, stopping only to nod to Salamander. His metallic boots sparked madly as he skidded to a stop just before reaching the guards. He used the momentum in his slide to turn and draw his spear, jamming it into one of the guards who was casting magic.

"That will be enough of that!" Alex spouted while lifting the body above him and tossing it to the others who immediately registered Alex as an enemy.

Salamander took the chance to run into the alleyway until he stumbled upon the maintenance hatch for the Juno branch Alchemy guild. He pried the metal away from the building and jumped through, making his way down the access hatch. A little further inside and Salamander caught wind of something that spiked his interest meter. An access tube to the water supply called out to him as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. With the hatch open, Salamander tossed a handful of one kind of seed into the flowing water, then another type. He closed the hatch and shimmied his way down the rest of the narrow structure.

Back outside Alexander continued to make new friends with the locals. Three of the fire fighting guards were dead and Alex was working on his fourth one already. He spun the spear around and slammed it into the ground before stomping with frightening strength. The ground quaked and split into shards of rock that lifted the guard slightly in the air, enough to throw his balance off and send him crashing to the ground. Alex capitalized and dashed over, driving his spear into the recovering man's head. The blood splattered over his armor and some on his face, the warmth filling his mind with incentive to continue.

Out the corner of his eye he spotted a refueling station for the ships further in the city equipped with two gigantic fuel tanks. With a devilish grin on his face he began to take a charge towards the gigantic canisters that stood out more than anything else. He jumped the small flight of stairs, spun and stabbed an oncoming guard with the spear and dropped his body there where he drew his short sword from the sheath. With a full head of steam and locomotion that had yet to be rivaled, he continued his rush onward, taking out several civilians and guards on his way while tanking any damage they managed to throw out to him.

Inside, Salamander watched from behind the scenes as many of the alchemist were in a panic in light of the outside demonstration Alexander was giving. They mobilized some of their best alchemist to assist the guards. As they evacuated the area, Sal slipped through the vent and out into the main hall where he sped towards the basement levels. He maintained a constant speed, only stopping to hide in the shadows to minimize any threat possible. Ahead of him waited a doorway with a blue tint coming from within. Sal inched his way towards the door with his back stapled to the wall until he could peek around the corner. Inside were a handful of alchemist and bio chemist that were performing analysis on a summon crystal. Salamander's eyes lit up with excitement at the chance to obtain his own Precor Deus.

Outside, Alexander left many bodies, rubble and all around devastation in his wake. He neared the tanks, but stopped when the sound of cannons being fire caught him by surprise. The huge shells nailed him dead in the chest, throwing him back into the wall of a nearby building, reducing it to a pile of bricks, dust and rats. Alexander laid there for a moment before shaking his head and sitting up.

"My my, that one actually hurt a bit. What in the world was that?" He asked himself as he stood, but not before more shells flew his way.

He lifted his sword and took a deep breath, watching the shells approach him in slow motion. With more speed than he looked to have, he turned to the side and slid the blade under one of the shells, lifting it and turning it around without having it lose momentum while dodging the other. The shell flew into the air for a while as Alexander turned to identify his assailant, the sound of heavy footsteps brought his attention to the mechanic walking towards him in his magic gear armor.

"Oh, now I see. So you've brought the heavy machinery out have you? Well then, I suppose I can take this to the next level!" He yelled out while running forward. He quickly stopped when more shells flew for his body, but from other directions.

Without waiting a moment, he jumped into the air, dodging the oncoming shells that would have surely done more damage than the last. While in the air he looked up and to his surprise, he was eye to eye with the first mechanic who jumped along with Alex. The giant robotic arm swung around with little effort, but Alex threw his arms in front of the attack, blocking it successfully, but pushing him back down towards the ground at top speed. Down below one of the other mechanics slid under Alexander and aimed his cannons directly at Alex's blind spots. He fired a handful of shells that found their mark, pushing Alexander forward before he made contact with the ground. The back of his armor began to show dents and small tears from the rear assault.

Down below, Sal had monitored the room and formulated a plan. Near one of the computers sat three carts used for transport. There were seven people in the room, two groups of two, one group of three stood at the center near the crystal. None of them had weapons at the ready which put Sal at a great advantage. He returned to his stationary pose on the wall and took a breath.

"Here goes nothing I suppose…Heh." He convinced himself before running into the room, heading straight for the carts.

The others in the room immediately reacted, all of them reaching into their coats, pants pockets and bags. Bottles of acid and fire grenades flew for his body, but Sal dove to the ground, sliding to the carts. He grabbed one and closed his eyes as his jacket sleeves began to expand and grasp hold of the cart. The cart changed to a darker color with a figure of a devilring perched inside. He poked his head from behind the cart and laughed as he turned it towards the group of three.

"Cart cannon!!" He commanded with an echo as his newly remodeled cart opened, revealing a small convenient blaster that began charging energy.

The cannon shot forward, ripping a clean hot hole through one of the computers and two of the three alchemists by the crystal. One of the bio chemists ran to the nearby computer and typed in a few lines, sounding the alarms and closing the blast doors to the room. Sal grumbled and ducked back below the cart to pull a manual from his jacket.

"Let's see, let's see! Ah! There!" He excitedly spoke to himself as he began to tinker with some of the items in the cart.

Without exposing himself, he threw an item into the center of the room that rolled lazily after it touched down. They peered over their cover to see what it was and to their shock it was a coconut.

"…A…Coconut? That's all? Heh…Hahahahah!" One began to laugh as he jumped over and grabbed the thrown coconut.

"Rico! Drop it, we don't know what that is!" One of the bio chemists yelled.

"Relax! This guy must be desperate if he's tossing island fruit treats at us." He taunted with a laughter that would soon come to an end.

The coconut rumbled for a little before spikes protruded from the brown shell. The spike lunged deep into Rico's hand, drawing blood and paralyzing him instantly with pain.

"Son of four bitches! Help me!" He yelled out in pain.

One of the other alchemists ran over and tried to assist without puncturing himself and also injuring Rico any further. As he maneuvered the coconut slowly out of Rico's hand, a small counter caught his attention.

"Shi-!" He tried to swear but the counter reached zero and the small bundle of cataclysm exploded between the both of them, sending needles through the room and into the two alchemists.

"Three left." Sal reminded himself as he began throwing more and more objects around the room.

He'd effectively turned this shut in into an extremely dangerous situation. One of the two bio chemist slowly positioned himself, with a bottle of acid and a fire grenade, to launch a sneak attack on Sal. He stepped over a banana that was tossed and cautiously moved his way towards the cart without so much as a bottle clanging together to make noise. Just as he lifted his arms to throw the surprise bottles, the banana behind him sprung into the air and began to twirl. The yellow spiral gained speed and released a fine smoke around the area that two more bananas mimicked from other places in the room.

Sal rolled from the cart, pulled the front part of his jacket over his mouth and nose and used his fantastic memory to recall the exact layout of the room, where his bombs were and where the other alchemy members were. With a duck, weave and a hop he stood behind one of the bio chemist and the last alchemist who were stuck in a coughing fit. Quickly he grabbed two seeds from his coat and jammed the sharp ends of the seeds into their spines, making sure to drive them in as far as possible before running the opposite direction. Large plants began to shoot from their bodies, ripping flesh and clothing as they did. The plants wrapped spiny vines around their bodies, using the blood as nourishment. The petals engorged themselves with the crimson liquid until the bodies were dry and the plants bloomed large, beautiful red flowers. The smoke died down some and the last bio chemist had hit the ground to avoid the choking hazard.

He stood with his sleeve over his face, trying to see results of this smoke screen.

"Thomas! Rachel! Are you both alright?" He asked, but got no reply. "Dammit…Not you both…"

Salamander began laughing in the veil of the last bit of smoke. His voice slowly inched into the bio chemist's mind as the room finally cleared. Ahead of him were his two colleagues, wrapped in vines, pale from their face to their arms and much skinnier. He covered his mouth with his hand and resisted the urge to run over and attempt to help them. Salamander walked up to the female alchemist and laughed while his face poked between the vines enough for the bio chemist to see. His hands wrapped around the now sagging breast, careful to avoid the vines at all cost.

"Maybe I should have kept her alive, she could have provided hours of entertainment for me in my lab, Ohohoho!" He teased.

"You shut your filthy mouth! I don't know who you are or where you learned these techniques, but I assure you once the king is notified, you will hang from your heels from a wagon while they drag your starving body through Turtle Island!" He shouted, his anger already causing him to think irrationally.

"Oh come on now you've forgotten me so fast? Just think about it for a moment. You bastards all exiled me years ago and even took the time out to kill me, or so you thought you did. Think real~ hard about that. I'll give you a clue, I was the one who did those wondrous experiments on your little brother. Oh the noises he made, I wish I had recorded them. Oh wait..I did. Remember how you listened to tape after tape?" Salamander folded his arms while speaking, causing the face mask to fall down his face and back into his jacket.

"N-No! Cross! How!? We killed you! I watched your head roll from your shoulders!" The bio chemist yelled, tightening his grip on the bottles.

"Oh quite easy actually. You see, I knew well enough of the raid of my lab and home. I simply took all the data I required, stowed it away and left one of my wonderful homunculus there for you to find. Once you caught him, you executed a soulless doll and everyone went home to sleep well while I sat back in the shadows and watched everyone. Even now, my homunculi sit in the alchemist guilds, recording every shred of information." He told with no problems.

"Lies! All lies!" He retorted, the bottles cracking his hands.

"Odd, I recall your little brother saying that when I told him about my human experiments. Now look at him. Tell me, one of my cameras were offline that day, how did the results turn out on him? Did he stabilize or was my hypothesis correct?" He asked with a tilted head and finger to his chin.

The bio chemist bit down hard as hot tears came from his face. The bottles snapped in his hand, causing the liquids in both to splatter onto his hands and clothes. He jumped back, swatting at his clothes and trying to remove his gloves but it was too late. The acid dug into his skin, burning straight through with no resistance. He stumbled backwards with loud incoherent screams, now dealing with the ignited fluid on his jacket. Salamander walked around the computer and stood before the flaming man with arms folder.

"Sorry, but my time is up here. I'm afraid I'll need to cut this chat short." He announced as he kicked the bio chemist back into a small pile of fruit.

The fruits of course were bombs that Sal threw out from behind his cart barrier. Being on fire only meant a swift ignition for the bombs and so it happened as such. The coconuts, durian and apple bombs caught the flame and erupted behind the biochemist, spewing his insides across the room. Salamander wiped his face clean and turned his attention to the floating crystal in the tank. From inside his jacket he drew a small seed that he latched onto the glass. With a small sprinkle of water via the sweat on the back of his neck, the seed spread out and constricted the glass in a tangle of vines. The container creaked and cracked until finally it gave under the massive strain and shattered.

Sal reached inside with no time wasted and smirked. He stuffed the crystal into his jacket and ran back over to the cart. He knew well enough there would be an armada outside waiting for him, but he took precaution upon entrance. He rolled his right sleeve up, looking at the watch underneath.

"Five minutes left, I must hurry." He said while pulling the sleeve back down. "Should be about time anyway."

No sooner had he spoke, sharp vines and bladed petals shot from within the water pipes of the facility, taking out anyone unfortunate enough to be caught by them. The swelling of the vines began to cut of circulation of water, backing up the boiler and other major functions of the alchemic facility. Without warning, explosions began to occur around the area, shaking the foundation of the facility to the core.

Sal took another corrosive bottle free and tossed it to the corner of the blast door to watch it melt that small area away. Through the hole he could see feet running back and forth and the shadows of people settle near the perimeter of the door. He chuckled to himself and rolled the cart to the door. He began tinkering around until he pulled a small amount of bombs from the cart and rolled them out from the small hole. Sal stood a good ten feet away from the door as mutters came from outside, followed by laughter and lastly a deafening explosion. The door crumpled into large chunks of metal that scraped the floor upon impact. He took the cart, pushing it slowly down the hall while whistling.

Outside Alexander had his hands full with the three mechanics out for his head. He knew he had only a few minutes left until the next airship arrived on schedule. His armor was riddled with dents, scratches and some parts were even broken. He hadn't prepared for this kind of battle and it was showing.

"I suppose I'm at a disadvantage here gentlemen. None-the-less, I have a mission that my leader is counting on me to finish! I cannot play any further!" He yelled as he removed his damaged shield from his back and placed it in his hand.

He ran for one of the mechanics, the assault plan laid itself out for him as his adrenaline kicked into maximum. Just as he went for the first step of his plan, the ground shook and erupted with flames from under the ground. He jumped back as one of the mechanics was engulfed in a super hot fire that caused his magic gear to overheat. He dove from the gear as it exploded, spraying hot oil and parts around the area. Alex noted their inability to handle extreme heats and the original plan came back to his head. He took a turn and made a mad dash for the huge gas tanks.

The mechanics opened fire, spraying a barrage of bullets for Alexander's body. He ducked and swerved around the heat and jumped into the air. With his spear below him, he pierced the side of the tank, spilling the gas on the ground. The combustible liquid surrounded the mechanics feet. Just as they went to jump from their certain doom, Alexander launched his shield at one, knocking him back down to the ground. He waited for the other to near him before jumping to meet him head on. He grabbed on and pulled his body backwards, flinging the gear into the other tank. His body pierced the tank, spraying gas into the air. As the other mechanic was getting to his feet, Alexander was standing just outside of the gas spill holding his short sword.

"I'd say this is mission complete." He said while swinging into the ground, causing sparks to rain onto the gas. Immediately the gas caught blaze, trailing to the standing mechanic and up the side of the tank.

Alex turned and walked away as a mighty explosion tore down the buildings surrounding the tanks and annihilated the two magic gears and the three mechanics. He sighed and grabbed his right arm, feeling pain fill that side of his body completely. He almost had the feeling of invincibility being with The Advents, but he realized that was only hopeful thinking. He stopped walking and looked up at the new batch of guards and civvies that took up arms. With his short sword and a shake of his head, he yelled out and charged into the fray.

Salamander strolled down the hallways, watching his newly grown flora take over the facility. The halls were cramped with vines and thorns, leaving little room for moving. Most of the people inside were cowering in rooms and shelter areas in fear of the plants. Sal had effectively created chaos, something they were ultimately striving for. He continued onto the highly restricted area, taking care of the various doors with potent acids. Down the many flights of stairs and a few leaps later, he stood before a giant gyroscope that moved almost faster than he could actually keep up.

He checked his watch once more and pulled a black and red seed from his jacket. He placed the seed on the platform under the gyroscope and pulled a small shard of glass free from the cart. With a quick prick of his finger, he dripped the smallest drop of blood onto the seed's covering, causing it to jump around madly. His job was officially finished as the seed split open, releasing rapidly growing plant life around it. Giant creatures made of hardened vines and stalks grew more and more until they collided with the gyroscope, halting its movement and shattering it into thousands of parts.

He laughed at the destruction and made his way back up to the main floor, already feeling lighter as the city began to plummet. Outside, a siren sounded to alarm people of the impending doom approaching in the form of the ground below. Alexander stopped his own set of carnage when the people looked around and began to run away. He knew right away what that signaled. In his mind he had been keeping time since the moment they jumped from the ship and it was about time for the ship to arrive. He ran back towards the front of the city, looking in the air. The smoke made it hard to see, but he was almost certain he heard the ship approach.

A sharp jerk from the now falling mass caused him to lose his balance and drop his blade over the edge of the city. He grumbled and fell to his knees, trying to keep his balance. Down in the labs, Salamander took the main hallway rather than his access tunnel, avoiding the tangled mess that was now taking over the innards of the building. At the entrance, two alchemists were directing people outside from outside, quickly getting them out to safety where they could gather on the ship.

Sal's usual creepy smirk slid on his face as he snuck up behind the unsuspecting people. With a handful of seeds he threw them towards the ground and moved back. They burrowed into the ground and released ravenous plants that bit the legs and feet of the passing people and the evacuating alchemist. They fell to the plants, getting more and more of their bodies bit the longer they stayed down. Without their knowledge, the plants began pumping venoms through the bodies of their new meals, causing nerves to cease function and eventually left them on the ground paralyzed to be eaten.

The thick smoke outside blanketed the city, making it hard to tell rather it was day or night. Sal checked his watch one last time before looking to the sky. He could hear the ship in the air and he knew well enough it was mobilization time. Through the many people who ran for the dock, he spotted Alexander at the head of the group, keeping them at bay with a sharp ended pipe. Sal took to the back of the crowd and laughed, drawing their attention.

"Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, we at Advent enterprises would like to announce that the flight to Rachel has been canceled due to poor visibility, however we offer an express route to the ground below and we certainly hope you keep Advent enterprises in mind." His words flew out with sarcasm while he made his way towards Alexander.

"A-Advents?! Don't fuck around! Let us by or we're done for you bastard!" One civilian shouted above the rest, starting a riot.

The ship appeared with lights bright through the smoke. It was a heavenly sight to the frantic people, but their hopes would soon be crushed.

"Ah my large friend, let's take our leave for I'm sure my little surprises have enough nutrients to greet these fine people." Sal said while holding his arms out to the people and smiling.

Alexander grabbed Sal's jacket with one hand and the edge of the cart with his other arm and took to the skies as though they weighed nothing. In might flight he tossed Sal into the air and onto the ship with minimal effort to free up a hand. Just shy of the edge, Alexander drove his hand into the side, halting his soon to be descent. With one arm he thrust his body upward with enough force to shoot him atop. Quick to his feet, he nodded to Salamander before raising his arm and punching straight down, opening a hole into the ship.

Salamander dropped down into the hallway and knocked on the bridge's door before kicking it in.

"Gentlemen, there's a change in our schedule. You see, you're now flying Air Advent and we need to immediately get to Rachel. Sal said while grabbing two seeds from his jacket.

"You have not authorization to be here!" The captain spoke from his chair.

"I don't think you heard me…" Salamander spoke quietly, tossing the seeds at the captain.

They landed on his coat, causing him to try and swat them off. The seeds sunk through his coat and into his skin, locking in instantly. He grabbed his skin, his veins pulsing outward, and screamed in absolute agony. He fell to the ground with slob exiting his mouth and blood pooling in his eye sockets. Sal stood over his shaking body and shrugged.

"Guess that one needs a bit more testing, there was no sprouting at all." He said with no care. "Now then, I'm taking over, if anyone wants to dispute this, step up now, if not, I suggest we start making our way towards Rachel…Now!"

The crew members looked at each other and went back to the consoles, lifting the ship up. The people below began to scream louder in riot and panic, trying to reach out to the ship. Children cried and parents tried to jump to reach the ship, but their efforts were in vain. Though their dooms were certain, it wouldn't be a quiet one. The grounds split apart and giant fanged plants surfaced from the piped hallways of the Alchemy guild. They released a saliva filled screech through the air, slamming their vines and roots down as the airship parted. Alexander folded his arms and watched the destruction unfold.

In the air, a black bird circled the area before flying to the ship and landing on Alex's shoulder. Sal stepped from the door behind Alex and nodded.

"Good, good. Unit thirty one has completed its recording I see. Now then." Sal said while pulling one of his small monitors from his jacket and hooking a cable into the bird's neck with a sickening pop.

The small eyes on the bird began to flicker and flutter wildly while the screen surged to life. With a quick yank of the cord, Sal laughed and placed the monitor in the talons of the bird. It took off, leaving the wake of chaos behind it as it made its way towards Prontera. Behind it, the city of Juno plummeted into the ground, setting off various explosions from within. Bodies of people, pets, homunculi and plant creatures fell from atop of the city, leaving them in a twisted scene of disaster and cataclysm. Salamander couldn't contain his laughter and smile while he watched the greatest feat of chaos he has yet to witness. Now the spotlight was on Azulong, Yumi and Kuroi, for act two was starting.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: One night of magic

In Prontera's castle, the king sat at an illustrious desk, looking over various proposals from the city folk. He heaved a sigh from the boring and tedious work for he'd rather be helping his daughter prepare for her festival experience. He removed his small frame glasses and looked outside, seeing Mjolnir in the distance. With a shake of his head he stood for a stretch and searched for something to pull his mind off of the massive pile of work he was tasked to finish.

Finally a distraction came to him in the form of a dainty knock at his door. He coasted across the carpeted floor and pulled on the knob, opening the door. In came his daughter with a large, sweet smile on her face.

"Father! You're still cooped up in here? The festival will be starting! You must be finished by now, you're supposed to help Alan and I prepare." She spoke with a mild whine in her voice as she walked into the room.

She always hated coming in to see the books and piles of work; it always took her out of her usually happy mood. With her small hands, she grabbed hold of her father and pulled him towards the door.

"Now, now Elena, I know I am supposed to help, but there is much work to be done. I cannot leave these proposals half finished." The king spoke with a slight chuckle, playfully pulling back from his daughter.

"No! You promised to help, besides the people are getting ready for the festival, they don't care about proposals and bills and all of that. I tell you what!" She stopped and hugged him. "You help me get ready and let Alan and I walk around the city without our escorts and I'll let you get back to your boring work, deal?"

The king's face instantly turned sour. He knew well enough how dangerous the streets were with the current events taking place.

"Absolutely not! You know what is happening out there now, for all we know Sho and The Advents could be lurking about in the city right under our noses!" His fierceness piercing through his fatherly façade as his voice reached higher. "Now I understand your feelings in regard to this all, but it is for your own safety Elena. Please understand this."

Elena took a deep breath, turned her back to her father and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. The king only placed his old hand to his head and shook it while turning to another window, looking out at his citizens.

"I certainly hope she realizes it is for her own good. If anything happens to my children…Let Valkyries help the person who does so." He spoke to himself.

Just as he headed back to his desk, a more frantic knock drew his attention back to the door. He turned and grumbled, taking heavier steps with faster movement until he reached it. He was nearly run down as he opened the door to the hectic guard who carried a small object in his hand.

"Sire… You're not going to believe this!" The guard spoke while holding Salamander's monitor up. "Juno has…Been destroyed!"

"What?!" The king inquired.

He touched his finger to the monitor, illuminating the screen. The image came in blurry, then crystal clear with the occasional static line forming. An aerial view of Juno came in on the screen, the image causing the king's eye brow to quirk. The view slowly changed to the airship pulling in and then falling to Juno with a ruinous blast following it. He instantly drew a sharp breath in looking harder into the screen as he closed the door.

Minutes rolled by until the near end of the video was reached. The image, though distorted slightly, zoomed in on Salamander and Alexander's face for a second, an intentional move by the two.

"S-sire, isn't that Sir Alexander Crosshound!?" The guard investigated. "I thought he went missing, what is he doing there?"

"Enough… I want Seban and his unit in here before the sun falls. You will speak to no one but him, understood?" Tristram commanded with a firm tone while sitting back at his desk with fingers intertwined in thought.

The guard saluted and ran out, searching for Seban. The king sat quietly for a moment, the sounds of his breath growing louder as time marched. With a quick snap, he flung the monitor into the wall in a fit of intense rage, breaking it into several pieces.

"The Advents…Must be stopped immediately!" He said to himself, almost like a promise.

While the king rallied Seban and his troops, the sun was finally settling behind the horizon. In Geffen, Yumi sat at the bench, in new blue and black attire, beside one of the shops until the sun was halfway gone. With a yawn, she stood and proceeded towards the center of the city, heading into one of the nearby buildings. A single counter and a woman was there to greet her.

"Um hello, um I was wondering if I could gather some information on um magic. Ehehe, I'm a student of Payon and I'm extremely interested in the arcane arts, is it possible to learn about some here?" She questioned the woman who only raised a brow.

"Hmm, I suppose so, but I require top level clearance to allow anyone inside, otherwise I'll be expelled from the lineage." She retorted.

Yumi smiled with her eyes closed and nodded.

"I understand, well could you um help me with something else then?" She nervously asked, fidgeting with her dress.

"Er, yea sure. What is it?" The woman asked while leaning forward a bit.

"Forgive me…" Yumi whispered.

"Huh?" The woman managed to let out before a blinding white light pierced the roof of the building, taking the woman down instantaneously.

Kuroi and Azulong entered the building behind Yumi whose eyes were large in terror.

"I-I killed someone…I've gone against everything I've been taught!" She shouted, feeling bad for herself.

Kuroi turned to her, raised his hand and smacked her. She fell to the ground and gasped as her face began to brighten with red.

"You're an Advent now, start acting like one." He said before turning to Azu. "We're going in quiet, understand?"

Azu only nodded and drew his blade. His movements were even hard for Kuroi to keep up with as he sliced through the floor before re-sheathing his blade. Azu jumped into the darkness, not making a decibel of sound as he did. Kuroi turned to Yumi who was still on the floor and summoned five spheres before consuming them for power.

"Get up, we're going. Don't make me take you myself." He said coldly as lightning surged around his body.

He jumped down after Azu, landing lightly behind his form. He took a step to the side the moment Yumi fell down clumsily. Kuroi's extended arm gave her something to brace against to regain her balance from the fall.

"Sense!!" Azu spoke, closing his eyes. "There are five floors, twenty on the first floor, at least fifty on the second, fifteen on the fourth and something is stopping me from sensing the last. A large variety of mages, sages, professors, wizard and some others that rank higher. Permission to release first chakra gate."

Kuroi nodded and took a stance as his energy levels spiked. Fifteen spheres surrounded him and condensed into five large ones. He pressed various pressure points on his, Yumi and Azulong's body, releasing energies within each of them. Azulong bit down hard, his veins pulsed to life and his body tensed up for a short moment. He opened one of his chakra gates, making him much more powerful. Yumi joined in on the enhancement period they took to make sure this went as smoothly as possible. Lights and energies spiraled in the long hallway until silence came.

Down the hall, three mages stood guard at a large eloquent set of double doors. They lifted their staffs and wands at the sound of approaching footsteps. One of them stepped forward but quickly realized he was now looking at the ground, then the ceiling and finally at his own body. His head rolled a few feet before stopping at the wall while the body fell. The other two gasped and immediately casted sight. The spiraling flames provided no help as two spirit spheres shot down the hall and plowed the both of them into the thick concrete wall.

The three Advents walked in quietly, looking at the giant doors. Kuroi stepped forward and grabbed the handle, only to be thrown back by a concussive spell placed on the door. He collided with the wall, but stood up momentarily. He charged spheres into his hand, but was stopped by Azu with a raised hand. Azu raised one hand to his face and began chanting a mantra. The air grew colder and the other two could have sworn they heard whispers. Suddenly the door turned pale shade of gray before collapsing into a cloud of dust and debris.

Without questions, the group carried on into the larger, torch lit room. Inside a cluster of wizards and sages awaited the group. No more than a second passed before the elements of the planet were turned into lethal projectiles. Bolts of fire, ice and lightning sprung forth for the group, but barely missed their targets as they dispersed. One of the sages raised his book and began chanting as flaming orbs appeared beside his body before firing off towards Azu who was steadily and rapidly making his way towards the mass of magic.

Azu drew his blade, slicing through the magic as though it was air. He stopped just by the sage and turned his attention to another while the previous fell to his knees which were soon soaked in a puddle of blood. Kuroi sped around the room with his snap technique, dodging spells with absolute ease, but caused the others to target Yumi instead. He snapped to the center of the assaulting mages and stomped with all of his might.

"Earth Shaker!!" His voice echoed while a shockwave traveled through the ground, causing the spells to be interrupted and the casters to fall to the ground. "Yumi!"

She nodded and lifted her hands high into the air.

"Silentum!!" Her voice echoed as well as small lights appeared on each of the mage's necks.

While grounded, they tried to cast spells, but found it impossible to conjure the elements. With wide eyes they turned to each other and tried to scramble to their feet, but Azulong stepped amongst them and lowered his eyes.

"Surging Tempest!!" His blade flew out once and returned to its safety in the scabbard.

A powerful wave of sharp energy collided with the running magic users, turning them into nothing more than body parts. Kuroi and Azu trotted through the mess with no care for the dead. Yumi tried to avoid as much as she could, taking large steps over the bodies while trying to keep her stomach at ease.

Across the room the walls parted with a slight rumble and drew their attention. An arctic blast of air intruded upon the room, pushing against The Advents. From the walls a High wizard stepped in his gorgeous professor comrade. Behind them were their apprentice wizards and sages, all preparing lightning bolts and jupitel thunder spells.

Azulong made a dash, but instantly found that his foot was frozen. He took the scabbard and banged the edge against the ice, trying to break free. The professor held her hand out to Azu and smirked with a wink.

"Soul burn!" Her voice escaped as Azu's body began to turn colors. He suddenly felt all of his energy leave his body, but was immediately replaced with massive amounts of pain.

Kuroi snapped away from the arctic area and approached the magic casting squad from the side, attempting a flank. The High wizard was busy maintaining his icy defense, leaving the professor to step up. She clapped her hands together and slammed them against the ground.

"Frost Diver!!" Her voice echoed over the wind caused by the storm gust.

An icy path surged for Kuroi, but missed as he snapped by. He approached faster and faster, dodging each diver that was tossed out. Yumi shielded her face from the arctic attack and tried to call out in assistance.

"S-Sile…Silentum!!" She finally was able to get out.

The lower ranked sages and wizards all found their spells to cease charging and their voice unable to escape their mouths. Though silent, they were not out of the game yet. With a quick look through their person, small scrolls made their appearance, allowing them to cast lower leveled spells. One sage turned his attention to Kuroi and threw a weak fireball into his stomach.

Kuroi looked down at the slightly singed skin on his stomach and back at the Sage. With a quick snap, he was face to face with the sage and his fist had a glow to it. Before the sage's mind could even register what was happening, he was punched in the stomach with so much force the ground and wall behind him literally exploded into thousands of shards. His eyes went blank and his body grew heavy from the blow, he slid down into the small ditch made, void of all life.

The professor grew angry; she raised her book about mid level and began chanting to herself.

"Double casting!!" She commanded from her arsenal as her body released more energy.

She casted another frost diver, but instead two flew from beneath her. One headed for Kuroi, but he snapped away. The other flew directly for where he ended up and caught hold of his leg. He stopped in place as the ice began to gradually creep up his leg.

Azu had been stuck with the ice around his legs which had crept up the scabbard and onto to his arm while he tried to recover from the devastation of the soul burn. Yumi stood away from the action, unsure in her next actions. Her breath began to get short and her heart pounded, she was having a panic attack. Every cell in her body told her to run, but her feet were frozen from fear.

Kuroi's body was nearly covered in ice, he had enough space to move his head and look at Yumi.

"Stop being a fucking coward! Show our leader you aren't just a waste of space and only useful for a quick heal! He bestowed power onto you so us-!" He started but the sudden light burst coming from the High wizard caught him off guard.

"Judex!! Judex!! Judex!!" Yumi constantly called out, each time her voice echoed with power as the light surrounded the high wizard as he tried to move from the oncoming attack, only to be caught and dragged back into the blinding holiness.

"Darthello!" The Professor called out to her comrade while their apprentices ran over to try and pull him from the holy blaze.

They were instantly pulled into the searing white death, but with their voices gone, they didn't have the liberty to yell out like Darthello. Yumi's face was covered in tears from a combo of fear, anger and disappointment in herself. She wanted to help, but killing went against everything she stood for, even if the others did themselves. She gasped, trying to fight the tears back as she ran over to Azulong and released him from his soon to be icy tomb.

Without wasting time he drew the blade and darted for the female Professor. Her face was red with rage. She snapped her fingers and pointed to the ground.

"Volcano!" She yelled, her voice rose along with her adrenaline.

A red blanket of energy surrounded her heels. She raised her hand to the air and bit down.

"Fire bol-" She began her spell, but realized it was far too late.

Azu's eyes stared her down as his blade flew through her arm as though it wasn't there. He turned the blade around, angling it for her neck and applied force behind it.

"Wait!" Kuroi called out as the ice on his body began to break away. "We can use her."

The professor fell to her knees, but refused to scream from the pain of her lost arm. She looked up slightly, gazing at Yumi while she helped Kuroi break free from his incasing. She pointed her finger as magic charged into her hand. Her mouth just barely broke the flesh seal around her lips before Azu pointed his sword to her face.

"If you speak, I will reduce you to nothing. I suggest you use your borrowed time wisely…" He said before kicking her in the face, causing her to turn over on her stomach.

Kuroi walked over to her, his feet moving onto the small shards of glass-like ice as though they were marshmallow. Down he bent, grabbing her by her top and lifting off her feet. He looked up at her and at the split wall.

"I know there are more of these doors down the way and I'm sure you have magic traps. You're going with us and you're not only going to tell us where they are, you're going to disarm them. Understand?" He bluntly told her before lowering her down onto her heels and turning towards the wall.

She coughed slightly, holding her severed arm with the other hand.

"And If I refuse?" She asked, making a face that could make Lutie warm.

Kuroi's eyes opened wide, he turned and without warning implanted his fist into her mid section, feeling multiple cracks. She gasped for air and pain drew itself onto her face before she fell to her knees, coughing blood and now holding her chest.

"I just broke three ribs, I will break more each time you refuse to help, provide back talk or decide to be stupid. I highly suggest you shut up, follow and do as you're told and you may get to live to tell the story." He turned to Yumi who was looking down, still fighting the tears. "Yumi, heal her. You'll keep her alive to feel the pain so she can't have the easy release of death."

Yumi slowly walked over and pressed her hands onto the professor. Her broken ribs reset themselves and mended together with no problem. She placed the arm back to its origin and began healing again. The skin around the area fused together, connecting each nerve together without a hitch.

"Now woman, stand. We're moving." Azu said while standing behind her to make sure she doesn't try anything.

Even though she was just in immeasurable pain, it was suddenly washed away. She looked at her arm and then to Yumi.

"T-thank you…" She looked at Azulong. "My name isn't woman, its Veronica! I suggest you remember that!"

Kuroi shook his head, turned and grabbed her. He placed his hand against her stomach and pushed in with his fingers, grabbing one of her ribs. He pulled with a twist, breaking one of them. She instantly fell again, still giving it her all to fight the pain.

"Don't heal that one. She will learn." He said as he lifted her up again, holding her ahead of him this time to get her moving.

In the airship above the mountain ranges, Seban stood on the deck looking in the distance where Juno once floated. Without realizing it, he'd been squeezing the side of the ship so hard that the wood splintered under his gauntlet. Words could not express the rage his heart was filled with. He wanted to destroy The Advents without halt and bring peace about once again. He turned slightly to see all of his men on deck, a small militia ready to take on anything that may be awaiting their arrival.

On the second floor of the mage's guild, The Advents and their prisoner kept on a steady pace. Every few feet they would stop and Veronica would disable a plethora of traps which only got more frequent the further they went in. Azu and Kuroi led the group as the muscle power while the other two stayed behind to avoid getting in the way. Veronica maneuvered herself to Yumi and tapped her without raising the alarms of the other two.

"Tell me… Why are you helping these two? You don't seem like you want to do any of this stuff girl. Why not just help me escape, I'm sure we can take the two of them." She whispered ever so lightly.

"I-I can't. I'm a part of this guild and…I…Nothing it's not important." She said while looking away from Veronica.

"What is it? Come on, maybe I can help you get out of this shitty situation." She persisted.

"Th-There's um…Someone I love in this guild. I-I can't let him down, I just can't." She said, trying to avoid the conversation.

"Oh honey, I understand completely. I was in somewhat of the same situation, but I had to realize that loving that man was going to get me killed. You have to learn to stand up for yourself." She said, nudging Yumi to the side.

Kuroi stopped walking and looked behind him. He cracked his knuckles and summoned five spheres. From down the hall a small amount of mages and wizards ran through with spells firing off. The group ducked and dodged the spells and Kuroi gathered the spheres into a large one before shooting it down into the crowd.

"Ride the lightning!!" He shouted as the blast blew a spherical dent into the walls where it left the bodies of the attackers.

"How did you know they were coming? Veronica asked as Kuroi turned and continued walking.

"I heard them, we both did." He said, hinting at their excellent hearing ability.

"Shit…" She said to herself, knowing they heard what they were talking about. "Wait wait, we don't have to take the entrance to the third floor. We can use the prison entrance and cut through half of the floor."

Kuroi stopped and looked at the well light walls, seeing various writings on the wall. He couldn't make out what the words said, but the arrows were pretty clear.

"Well, where are we going then?" He asked.

She pointed to a branching path of the large hallway, the area that was bare of the blue carpet they'd been enjoying for a while. With a detour happening, they made their way to a large bolted door that stood between them and the quicker route.

Azu stepped up and made quick work of the door. They walked in, but stopped when one set of footsteps stopped. Azu turned back, looking at Veronica who was charging a spell. Before placing his blade back in the scabbard, he ran back for her, already closing the distance with ease. Just before he swung, a wall appeared in front of his sword, impeding his view. Though the slash went through, the wall regenerated in an instant.

With and inspection of the wall, small magic lettering was scatted among the surface. It was a trap and they had no way of disarming it. The only possible thing was to go forward into the prison and look for a way out. With no other way to go, they began descending the large black stairwell.

"Now…To warn the Elders!" Veronica told herself, trying to move as fast as she could with a broken rib.

Down below, the air began to grow fowl, stale and slightly humid. The bright hallways above were such a huge contrast to this dark and dreary place. They reached the bottom of the stairwell and were confronted with row after row of cells being held by magical seals. They took their first steps cautiously, making sure to avoid any traps awaiting them.

"Kuroi…" Yumi started.

"If you show any signs of weakness, I will not allow you to leave The Advents quietly. Disregard what the woman said, you're in the guild now, you knew well enough what you were getting into rather it was for 'him' or not. I suggest you get over what you learned as a priest and welcome your new life Yumi." Kuroi interrupted.

"Wait a tick…" A voice sounded from a cell almost hidden away from the others with an exception of the glowing green orbs and thousands of seals placed on the cell door. "That voice…That scent… I must be off my rocker. Yumi?"

She gasped and moved her hand to her mouth, shaking her head.

"No…Jinsei…" She said, speaking the name of the man in the cell.

"Well I'll be a Kraben's uncle. Today must be special, they made a mistake and gave me two pieces of bread to eat today and my woman came to visit. Say you two, be sports and help me outta here ya?" Jinsei's voice called out.

Azu looked to Kuroi who only shrugged. Azu took a stance and began drawing energy from some of the inmates in the cells. His breath came free at a slower rate as most of the prisoners fell unconscious in their cells from the taxing task of giving energy.

"You're going to need a hell of a lot of energy to get through these seals. They suppress energy flow, it's the only way they can keep me in heheh." Jinsei spoke.

"Wait! No! Don't release him!" Yumi called out, grabbing Azu's arm.

"What…What the hell? Yumi!? What are you doing?" Jinsei called out again.

"No! You're not supposed to be dead! The guild promised to take care of you after what you did at Ayothaya! They said I wouldn't have to worry about you! They said-" She frantically began, clenching her dress tight.

"Oh…Ohohooo I see now, you're the one who ratted me out huh? You're the one who told them were I was huh? Heh…Ahahaha! Over some stupid foreigners!? You give up the man you're supposed to love!? Un-fucking-believable. I protect YOU from having your 'innocence' taken away by a group of smug bastards, and you roll over on me! I've heard it all now." Jinsei ranted in between laughing.

"You didn't have to kill them! They were people, someone's family!" She started up again, releasing the tears she fought hard to suppress.

"I've heard enough of this." Kuroi said. He stood before the cell and drew his arm back.

"Kuroi don't!!" Yumi shouted while reaching out to him.

"Fallen empire!!" Kuroi's voice reverberated through the prison block as his fist exuded massive pressure and power against the cell and the seals, breaking most of them off.

As the seals fell to the ground, power began to radiate from the cell. A gaggle of laughs came from other cells in the block along with words.

"Holy shit, someone's going to release Jin?"

"What?! AHAHA are you serious?! They're dead!"

"Oi, check out the show fellas, someone's setting Jin free!

The voices came from various cells. Soon more and more of them sounded until majority of the block was alive with chatter, rattling and laughter. Azu kept the stored energy in the blade, he returned to his stance and swung the blade upward. The remaining seals split and blew apart, releasing a power into the entire block.

"My god, I can actually feel the elements again. Hehe, feels mighty good to get out of there I reckon." Jinsei said as he stepped out of his cell.

The warlock stood before the Advents with a long stretch which was followed by many creaking and cracking joints. He shivered a moment before looking dead at Yumi. He ran by the two strongmen of the group and grabbed her by the throat. The ring on his index finger began to heat up and burn her neck slightly. She grabbed his hand and screamed out in pain, trying to kick him off. He pressed his face close to hers and chuckled.

"You know baby, I've been in here a very long time because of you. You have no ideas what it's like to be cast in a spell of shadows, only able to hear and smell. Not being able to move because of weight seals or being able to eat regular food. You want to know why I'm not dead?" He asked as he moved closer to her ear, whispering. "Because I killed them all. Every time they tried to take me from my cell to kill me, I killed them. I can still see some of them now, burning in the hallway, being frozen to death, drowning. All of them met their doom because you decided to tell them about me."

She struggled and looked to Azu and Kuroi who were looking for a way out. Jinsei backed his face away a bit and grinned, running his hand up her thigh.

"Tell my baby, did you miss me those nights? Did you once think about what you did to me? I always figured it was my brother who rolled on me, so I had him killed from in here. Oh well I guess, I found out he also tried to screw me by taking all of my assets and trying to sell them off. Maybe I should send you to the same place he is huh?" Jin asked, his hand moving further up.

Azu stepped over and grabbed Jin by the shoulder.

"You can read magic. Open the path hidden in the wall." He commanded with a stern look.

"….Heheh, okay there mate. I appreciate you freeing me." He said while grabbing Azu's hand and pulling it off of his black and gold warlock's garb. "But no one gives me an order, understand?"

He went back to feeling Yumi up, pressing his tongue to her neck as she let a whimper free. This time it was Kuroi's turn. He grabbed Jin's shoulders, spun him around and pressed points on his body in that same motion. Jin coughed and bit down hard before holding his hands out before them both. Though he tried to conjure a spell, his magic wasn't flowing.

"Gentle touch: Silence…" Kuroi spoke with his arms folded. "Now, you're going to help get us out of here, or you're going to know what hell feels like."

Jinsei laughed and held his face with one arm. When he pulled his hand back down glasses sat atop his nose. He smirked and pointed his finger towards the two as his eyes gave a bright red glow.

"Crimson rock!!" His voice echoed as flaming meteorites appeared from the ether and crashed onto Azu and Kuroi.

The force threw them back into cells, causing dents in the bars on impact. Azu got back to his feet and dashed in towards Jin with his hand on the draw. He kept quiet as his geta clacked on the pavement below. Just as he got a good run, he found himself to be slowing down greatly.

"Marsh of the abyss!!" Jinsei commanded as the ground below Azu turned black and slimy, pulling his legs down below.

Kuroi decided to attack from a distance, launching sphere after sphere of spirit energy. Jinsei lifted his hands as elements began to condense into spheres of his own. He pointed forward as each one of his collided with one of Kuroi's keeping his attacks at bay. He clapped his hands and lifted them to the sky, calling down the same gust of icy wind from before.

"Storm gust!!" He called out as the force knocked Kuroi around before starting to freeze him.

Once his arms and legs were tethered to the ice, he let up on the gust before gathering more elemental spheres.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this one kiddies. I haven't use this one in a long time." He said as the last sphere appeared near his head. "Tetra Vor-"

"Adoramus!" Yumi called out before Jin could finish, releasing a light from the sky that pierced in and struck Jin.

He looked up and opened his eyes wide as the beam nailed him straight on, pushing him downward as he tried to fight against it.

"W-What the fuck are you doing!?" He screamed out.

"What I should have done before! Acting as one of The Advents!" She shouted, amplifying the power she released.

"A-Advents!? What are you…" He stopped when he spotted the symbol on Kuroi's shoulder through the ice. "No…Way!"

Azu freed himself from the muddy prison and jumped into the air. Yumi released her grasp on the Adoramus just as Azu entered the light and slashed the glasses from his face, releasing the card that was fused to it. Yumi instantly casted silence onto Jinsei as he lay on the cold ground. She turned her attention to Kuroi and released him yet again from ice.

"I'm going to need a damn Marc card…" Kuroi muttered as he approached Jin and assaulted the pressure points again to seal off his magic. "Un-silence him, we need him to talk to open the wall."

Yumi who was now breathing hard, released the silence from Jinsei. He opened his mouth to talk but caught a heel to the jaw beforehand.

"Asshole!" She shouted at him, but he only laughed.

"The Advents?! You have to tell me how this is even possible! Did they slip me something in that second piece of bread? Things are going WAY too good!" He said while holding his chest.

"Now, get the hell up, and start opening the wall, or you're going to wish we'd left you in there." Kuroi said, picking him up and shoving Jin towards the wall.

Jin stopped himself and raised his hands.

"Now hold on a sec. If you guys are trying to get out of here, we can easily take the exit. There isn't anything here you'd be interested in." He explained.

"I didn't ask you for explanations. I told you to read. We're wasting time here." Kuroi spoke yet again, growing more and more annoyed.

"Ohhhoo wait now, lemme guess. You're going for the Elders!? Holy Hot shit in Sograt. If that's the case I have an express way, but I have two conditions."

"You aren't in a place to make deals. We will not tell you again." Azu said, pulling the blade free slightly.

"Now wait a minute here guys. This can work out very very beautifully. You see, I can get you straight there and without having to disarm mountains of traps or having to go through the trash to get to the big rats. All you have to do is unseal my magic and one other thing….Let me join the Advents."

Azu stepped forward and drew his sword. The blade gleamed with death as he made the motion to bring Jin's legs away from his body. Kuroi interrupted and shook his head, signaling Azu to put his blade away.

"What's the way there before we unseal you." Kuroi asked while making his way to Jin.

"Simple big guy, Earth Strain. I'll distort the earth so much that the magic trap won't be able to regenerate. Then all one of you will have to do is knock a hole straight down and bam! Right on top of the old dried ball sack's heads. Well?" He asked with a devious look about his face.

"I don't think we should trust him. You don't know him like I do, he's extremely dangerous you two!" Yumi tried to warn, but it went on deaf ears as Kuroi pressed the pressure points yet again, unsealing his magic.

"And my joining?" He asked with his arms folded .

"First, you break the regeneration, then you get in." Kuroi said, folding his arms as well.

Jin stared him down for a moment then laughed. He got a good distance away from them and pressed his hands against the ground. The metal in the cells began to creak as the ground began to shake and roll, causing spikes of earth to jut from the ground. The lettering on the walls faded away slowly the longer the Earth Strain carried on. Soon it all vanished the ground resembled a battle field in the crust of the planet.

"There, now, big hole punchey thing. You know how it goes." He said, backing away from the area.

Kuroi stood over the cataclysm and took a deep breath in. He drew more spirit spheres and absorbed them into his fist for added kick. He lifted his fist into the air and struck the ground as hard as he could, piercing a large hole directly below them that traveled on until it reached the bottom.

Down below Veronica was just granted an audience with the Elders. She stood before them, leaning to the side from the immense pain she was feeling. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sudden rumbling threw her off. She shook it off and opened her mouth again, this time being stopped by the sudden collapse of rocks, metal and other materials that plummeted through a hole and onto one of the elders.

"Dear Ifrit's fire! Elder Sol! No!!" She screamed out through her own pain.

Azu looked down the hole. He held his hands out to his comrades, letting them know to stay up for he would not be long. Without waiting for confirmation, he jumped in with his hand on the hilt of his blade.

"Man, that guy is always ready for go time isn't he?" Jin asked. "So, how about it dark man, how about you let me into your little club eh?"

Kuroi for the first time smirked. He grabbed Jin by the neck and lifted him into the air.

Down below, Azu landed without so much as a sound on the round slate table. He looked to the side of himself to see Veronica and behind him awaited the Elders. He released his breath and turned with quick momentum. His blade struck swiftly, slicing through the necks of the elders before they had a chance to employ their powerful magic against Azu. Once his blade was safe in the scabbard, he glared Veronica down who had broke out in sweats.

"L-Look here samurai, why don't you j-just let me go? Huh? Ehehe. You'll get nothing out of killing me right?" She pleaded, still feeling the pain of her broken rib.

"…I suppose you're right. My mission is complete anyway." He said, angling himself to jump back to the top.

"Fool…" She said to herself while firing a frost diver for Azu.

He looked back down in time and dove to the side. Another line of arctic doom approached him, but was quickly neutralized when Azu called forth Izanagi's blade. The glowing ethereal blade gave off a large amount of heat which was enough to turn the ice into steam. He lifted the dull edge to his face and closed his eyes.

Veronica called forth a barrage of flaming bolts, hoping to destroy her target for the deeds he performed today. The flames shot forth, sending embers to the ground and in the air. Azu opened his eyes at the very last moment, lowered the sword and swung it horizontally without a sound. The force traveled like an invisible shockwave and tore through the fire bolts, Veronica and the entire area behind her. Azulong stood back on the table and slammed the sword into the rock. The sword shifted into a dragon and propelled him upward into the hole.

Up a few floors, Kuroi maintained his grip on Jinsei.

"As one of The Advents, I add you under the leader; Shodelth Sekirin! You shall serve him until your body no longer holds breath!" Kuroi spoke as the guild symbol appeared on Jin's stomach, showing through his clothes.

He released Jin, letting him fall to his feet before looking back at the hole.

"Now baby, you and I can work out this little…Dispute now that we're guild mates." Jin said to Yumi while heading towards her.

She looked down, feeling her weakness coming back to her. She tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Just as Jin reached out for her, a light protruded from the hole followed by a bright image of a dragon. Azu shortly followed the dragon's image, covered in blood and small singe marks on his clothing.

"All accounted for and killed. Part one complete." He said with little care in his voice.

"Then, onto the finale of our act." Kuroi said bluntly as he looked to Yumi who was already putting a warp portal down.

Just as they were exiting, the voices in the cells called out to them, wanting to be released as well. They did nothing more but ignore the calls, leaving them with the glimpse of the portal closing as Yumi stepped in after the others.

The light burst open just outside of Geffen tower. As the party stepped out they caught people running into the mage guild they had just left, probably investigating the noise. Yumi opened another warp portal and awaited their final task to be completed.

"Well? Now What?" Jinsei asked.

"We bring down Geffen tower." Kuroi said while preparing his attack.

"Oh really?! Wait, waaaaait! Let me do it!" Jinsei spoke with an eager grin on his face.

He lifted his hands and began conjuring elemental essences into condensed spheres. With all of the elements, he turned to Kuroi and nudged his head towards him.

"Mind giving me some of your holy spheres there buddy?" He asked, holding one of his hands towards the tower.

Kuroi summoned a sphere and placed it among the elemental essences. Jinsei laughed wildly, pointing his other hand out towards the tower. The spheres all collided with each other and fused into an extremely small singularity that spun and generated outrageous amounts of energy. Jin threw the singularity at the tower, letting it sink into the wall. With it gone he made a mad dash to the portal, diving in without wait. The others followed behind, ending with Yumi which closed the portal.

Moments after they left, spikes of energy began to tear at the tower, pulling it in different directions. The spikes fluctuated madly before a catastrophic explosion destroyed the tower and a few of the surrounding buildings including part of the mage guild's building. The people who were running were caught in the blast and instantly turned to dust.

The light from the blast reached high into the air, even being seen by a few people in Prontera. The mission was complete, there was now only one thing left and for that, the light shined onto Sho who stood with an army of Assassins, Assassin Crosses and Guillotine Crosses. Three and Sho both stood at the head of the army, ready for one of the worst massacres to come to the world. Sho had effectively set the stage for his act. It was now time to open the curtains.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Opening night

In the course of the hours that seemed to pass by extra slowly for Salamander and Alexander, they managed to kill three of the crew mates who all tried to be heroes. One was brave enough to take up arms against Alexander, but soon found out that it was a mistake that would find him overboard with jagged metal lodged in his skull. In light of the events, Rachel was in view and it was not in a state of happiness, though it brought a huge grin to Sal's face.

The ground below was littered with hundreds if not thousands of corpses. Buildings were in shambles, the sky was dark with black clouds and behind the city at the temple, Chaos stood with a white lance in his hand raised to the sky. It let a fierce roar as the silver knight Precor Deus behind Chaos faded away into a sparkling dust, leaving a long trail as the wind blew the particles away.

Sho and Three stood side by side, both sporting battle damage to their bodies and gear. Ahead of them were three women dressed in white attire. A wanderer, shura and a shaman stood before the two, all breathing hard with rips and tears in their outfits with blood coming from them to match. The air around them was tense, their eyes all locked onto each other and slight silence filled the area with the exception of distant roars of fire. Three's face could only be described as a hard stone with no emotion at all, just the killing intent blazing in his crimson eyes. Sho on the other hand sported his smug smirk, tossing the dagger back and forth between his hands.

"Well ladies, I propose we end this little draw of ours, for you see we now have you out numbered, out classed and unless you have another Deus you want to throw out at us, you're beat. Surrender and we can talk about the conditions of your lives." Sho broke through the silence.

They looked to each other for a moment, suddenly feeling multiple presences around them. One by one members of the assassin guild appeared around them. Some on the ground, others in buildings as well as on top of structures, they stood ready with weapons armed and attitudes to match.

"Lady Tira…It is over. We cannot face them with Chevalier De Argent destroyed." The shura spoke, already powering down her spirit spheres.

"We…We must fight! We cannot allow them to win!" Tira tried to argue until a hand touched hers.

"No lady, we have been bested. Maybe the ancients have a better plan for us…We must carry on with faith and end this bloodshed." The wander explained while dropping her spiked whip.

Tira felt tears well up in her eyes, it was the bitter and awful taste of defeat and she hated every moment of it. She bit down hard, clenching her hand around her guardian shura's hand.

"Marie, Kagami, I truly thank you for staying with me through this time, I certainly hope you will be safe in your lifetime." Tira's voice shakily let out while she let go of Kagami's hand, drew a massive amount of energy from the two of her guardians and placed it into the dagger she had tucked away under her flowing white and gold dress.

The blade erupted forward with energy, creating a pseudo sword. She released a war cry, running for both Sho and Three. The two stood down and turned their backs simultaneously knowing full well that she wouldn't reach any further. Sudden movements caused dust and sand to fly around the area as the assassin guildies all made their way for Tira. Marie cried out for Tira, but Kagami held her back, knowing well they would do to them what they were about to do to their leader.

The sheer number of people that surrounded Tira was staggering. Blood flew into the air before most of them could even land. Their movements were swift, they decapitated the body in a matter of seconds before disbanding and letting it fall to the ground in a bloody mess. Marie turned in a hurry, burying her face in Kagami's chest to let the tears flow. Three snapped his fingers as a shadow shot from under his body, slid under Tira's and engulfed it before returning under his.

"So Seki, this was pretty successful, what do you plan on doing with this place anyway?" Three inquired while leaning back onto a broken ivory pillar.

"I'm going to share it with you and your boys Three. I'm only interested in the city, the temple, sanctuary and all of the underground workings are yours to do whatever you want with. The city however will be my new strong hold for my guild." He said while looking into the sky just as the airship came into view. "Speak of the devil."

The gigantic ship lowered down onto the ground and the crew aboard released anchors into the sand below. Sal and Alex jumped over into what could easily be described as hell. Sho turned to Marie and Kagami and raised his hand to them.

"From today on, you two are properties of the Advents, should you dispute this fact, and I'll show you what a dark shura can do to human flesh." He walked to the both of them and touched them on the shoulders.

A symbol appeared on Marie's neck and Kagami's left leg although it wasn't the same symbol the rest of the crew were sporting, it was another symbol that was found on bodies in the old days.

"That symbol there is proof that I allow you to live, to breathe and to walk. You no longer have a life of your own; your life is what I say it is. As your first duty, you will gather all of the people we left alive and separate the citizens from the special jobs people. Understood?" He questioned them with a voice so cold they shivered in terror.

"Yes master…" Marie spoke first, running back towards the city.

"Of course m-master." Kagami said after, running after Marie while holding the various feelings in.

In the main city the warp portal opened just as the two were running by. Kuroi stepped out first and wasted no time grabbing Kagami by the throat and with his other hand, reared back for attack. Just as he was about to introduce his fist to her stomach, her slave symbol appeared and he released her to fall to her knees.

Jinsei stepped out and caught the last part of that little show and blink.

"Goodness mate, you guys don't fuck around do ya? It's like you have liquid go time in ya veins." He said, kicking a body from his feet.

Salamander and Alexander approached the now arriving Advents with a wave. Azu and Yumi finally stepped out and reveled in the destruction about them. The two who came by air, stepped into the group, both sporting satisfied looks on their faces.

"Aaaahh the smell of chaos and torment, I swear they should bottle it so I can dab it behind my ears after a shower!" Salamander joked while taking a deep inhale.

"I know! Soap just isn't manly enough anymore, it's gotta be eau de toilette. So where's the big boss at? Gotta meet him right?" Jinsei asked with a stretch.

"Who's the new meat?" Sal investigated the new warlock in his midst.

"Meat? Listen up buddy, my name is Jinsei and I'm-"

"I've already stopped caring. Come on, Sho must be at the temple, I saw Chaos back there with a new toy." He said while jumping on his new cart and taking off with a loud 'vrooom'

The others followed but Jinsei who lowered his eyes and swore. He kicked the body again and folded his arms before following behind.

Behind the city at the barely standing temple, Sho, Three and some of the assassin guild posted up around the temple. They sat at various points, resting up after the city wide massacre. Sho looked up at his squad and lifted his hand to signal them to come closer as he stood to meet up.

"Took you bastards long enough… What's with the cart and who's the new guy?" Sho asked while pulling a shard of glass from his arm he had neglected to get before.

"Oh you like? It's a little souvenir from Juno and it has some extensive benefits that I believe will help cause some good old fashion devastation." Sal responded.

"I see, so that means Juno won't be a tourist hot spot for years to come." Sho retorted with a chuckle.

"Wait a minute! You took down Juno!?" Jinsei asked with great surprise. "Holy shit…"

"Again…Who the hell are you?" Sho asked, now growing impatient for his answer.

"Oh uh, Jinsei Ginjiheim, Warlock extraordinaire. I was locked up in a high security cell in the mage guild, but your little troupe here found me and gave me an invite. I even took down Geffen tower for ya boss. Oh and let's not forget my so called fiancée Yumi who obviously never mentioned me." Jinsei answered before glaring at Yumi who was looking down in disgust.

"…Fiancée? No I suppose she never has mentioned you…Not that I really care though. I guess if Kuroi hasn't blown your insides all over the place, you must be worth something. At any rate, we've created a large gap in Prontera's forces. Some of the Assassins are scouting for me and they reported that the king has sent his lead Royal guard and a team to Juno to investigate as well as His lead Rune knight and his squad to Geffen. According to Seban's previous report, he still has a few more people at his disposal, but they're just minor obstacles. Now it's time to partake in the next act, the act of causing mental discord." Sho explained while walking towards the temple.

The others followed and Three rallied his men together to hear the next step of the plan. With the summer festival starting in the morning, Prontera will never know the events about to transpire. The foundation of the royal family was about to shook violently to make sure everything fell out of place for them.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: I love you

Nearly an hour had passed since Kagami and Marie were sent to gather the remaining people. Their task came to an end and everyone alive stood at the temple which now had a roaring blue flame at the altar where Sho sat on the edge of. He looked out over the steps down at the people who looked back to him with hate and rage in their eyes. He stood with perfect timing of a lightning strike and walked down the stairs. The faces in the crowd portrayed emotions of the highest form, almost everyone wanted to dart forward and kill Sho with whatever they had near them.

"That face…That exact face is the one I started this conquest with. I know that feeling, that deep rage in your blood, screaming out to you to kill the one who brought you to that point. You all want to kill me now right? Well I welcome anyone to try it…Any takers?" Sho extended the invite with his hand stretched towards the crowd of people.

The sound of a war-like yell sounded from the rear of the crowd. A Young boy, no older than thirteen ran forth with his tiny dagger in hand and tears spouting from his face. He ran through the sea of people, stumbling a few times until he reached Sho where he stopped for a moment.

"This is for Mama and Papa!" He cried out, thrusting the blade forward.

Sho smirked, slapped the blade down and grabbed the kid by the hair. He lifted him up, pulling his body by the roots of hair attached to his scalp. Face to face, Sho laughed in the boy's face before throwing him to the dirt.

"It's funny isn't it, the bottom of the barrel shot forth before any of you supposedly strong types. Yet he couldn't do anything because he lack power, all he has is will." He looked down at the kid while talking. "For having no power with a heart filled with hate, he will not succeed, only die."

Sho bent down and picked the kid's dagger up. With a cold glare he threw the blade downward with a simple flick of his wrist. The blade pushed deep into the kid's back, going down to the hilt. He gasped for air, grasping for the ground below him to pacify the pain that coursed through his body. Though he tried, his life came to an end just like that.

"Let that be a lesson, that I hold the power here. That you are in my hand and you will obey what I tell you. You have hate, that's for sure, but you lack power. So from today on-." He lifted his hand to the sky with the Advent symbol glowing brighter than before. "I claim your life! I subjugate your every move. If I do not will it, you shall not act it. Today, I am your new God and The Advents is your new religion!"

The same slave marks on Kagami and Marie appeared on the ground in massive format. The glow reached up and tangled the people, marking their bodies with the exact same image. They were now property of The Advents, they had no choice but to follow what Sho told them. Everyone before Sho bowed down to the ground as The Advents stepped up behind him, looking out at their mass of followers.

"Yes Master!" They yelled out in unison, their spirits and wills instantly broken under the oppression of the guild.

Sho turned to his members and nodded, leading them back towards the fire. Kuroi sat atop a toppled pillar and folded his arms and legs atop it. Jinsei pressed his back against the railing of the steps and watched Sho walk on. Yumi followed Sho to the fire while Azu sat in the dirt on his legs and Salamander joined Kuroi. Sho reached the flames and turned to his men.

"You all should know well enough what's coming next. Kuroi, once I return it will be your turn to act. As soon as you spot your target, you know what to do. Sal, rally Three's men and prepare." Sho said while nodding to Yumi who opened a portal.

"But of course! I can only imagine how great this is going to be hehe." Sal said eagerly while rubbing his hands together.

Sho chuckled and headed into the portal, swiping his hand over his face before vanishing with Yumi into the portal. Sal jumped up with a playful kick and laughed. He clapped and made his way towards the entrance to the sanctuary where two assassin crosses stood guard. They moved to the side and allowed Sal to pass by where he spotted Three sitting among his men while sharpening his katars.

"He's gone, I hope your men are ready." He said with a twisted smile.

"I'm sure they are, it's been a while since they've had that kind of fun. To top it off, they're getting paid to do it as well so I imagine they're going to deliver one hundred percent."

"Gooood! Ohohoho, I can't wait!" Sal said.

In Prontera, the many stalls came alive with lights and signs that poked through the veil of night. Children ran through the streets, sporting their summer outfits and wearing home-made masks that depicted various characters, spirits, monsters and even the king himself. The streets came alive for the summer festival, a once a year event that made the citizens forget their worries and look forward to the festivities with their children and lovers.

Near one of the stalls, a delivery man knocked at the wooden door, holding his hat in his hand. He took a step back as the was opened by an elderly woman who's eyes were enhanced by the thick octagon glasses on her face. She smiled and looked up to the man, fixing her glasses to get a better look.

"Ah, how can I help you son?" She asked with a sweet and polite tone.

"Oh, hell mo ma'am. I have a wedding gift for a miss Elajia, I just need her signature and it's hers." He said, pulling a neatly wrapped box from behind him with a small note attached.

"Oh I see! Well, my granddaughter isn't here right now, she's at the church dear. I'll be happy to take the gift for her if that's okay." She said with a heartwarming smile.

The delivery man smiled wide and nodded.

"Of course ma'am, I just need your signature here." He said, holding a clip board out to the woman.

He placed the box under his arm and held the board steady to get her signature. She leaned in close, signing her name in perfect cursive. He passed on the gift and tipped his hat to her.

"You have a wonderful evening ma'am and enjoy the summer festival, I certainly hope the gift is satisfactory, if not please notify our main office in Alberta via mail. Take care." He spoke to her politely before leaving by way of the alley.

Inside the alley the delivery man cheerfully whistled a tune while making his way towards the north east point in the city. He took a moment to stop and take in the sights. Children ran around him carrying sprinklers with their faces hidden behind crudely made masks. He laughed and grabbed a sprinkler himself and began running with the children, still maintaining his course. Once he reached the edge of the inner gate, he stopped and lowered down to their levels.

"Say kids, since it's the summer festival, how about I give you guys something cool?" He offered in a persuasive tone.

They immediately looked at each other, gathered around and held their hands out with eager bounces and shouts.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out pouches of seeds marked with different flavors. He handed them out to each of the kids, stood and dusted his hands off.

"Now then, don't go ruining your dinner hehe, but do enjoy them okay?" He asked as they thanked him and ran off to show their parents what they received.

As for the delivery man, he stopped just outside the church, waved his hand over his face and stepped in. Father Bamph stood from the small counter and smiled, holding his arms out.

"Ah, Seban, I'm so relieved that you're back from Juno, tell me, how was everything?" He asked.

"Oh father, would you believe it, it was all a joke. There was nothing wrong with Juno at all. To think that those cowards would ever attack Juno. It's laughable." Seban said, placing his fists to his hips with his head shaking.  
"Oh thank the Yggdrasil tree! I'd been keeping my prayers up ever since I heard about it. I'm glad it was only a joke, though a bad tasting one I might add. Anyway, it certainly is great you're back, you must be here to see Elajia right? She's in the reception hall, filling out some last minute things." The father explained while sitting back at his comfy seat.

"Ah thank you father. Oh by the way, one of Alberta's delivery men was passing out these delicious seeds, I thought I'd share some with you." Seban said while handing a pouch of seeds to the father with a smile before walking by and into the door beside him that lead to the hall.

Sitting at the table with a few stacks of papers ahead of her and a tune coming from her mouth was his beautiful wife; Elajia. He snuck up behind her and placed his hands gently on her shoulder, causing her to jump in reaction.

"Seban!? W-what are you doing here honey?!" She asked in total surprise.

He laughed, pulled her chair back and swept her off her feet in a loving embrace. He looked her in the eyes and smiled in her face.

"The Juno incident was a hoax like I thought it would be. There's no way they could sink the entire city. So I hopped on the shop and rushed back to tell you the news." He said with a light chuckle.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and smiled.

"I'm glad then, now we have the night to ourselves." She said with a little smirk.

He repeated the same expression and leaned in, kissing her softly.

"What about the festival?" He asked, gently pulling away from her lips.

"Heehee, we'll come up with our own events, maybe back at home, in the room, with the curtains closed." She teased with a devilish smile.

"Love, we shouldn't talk about it in the church heheh." He chuckled and went in for another kiss, but was denied as she turned her head way.

"Wait a minute… Since when did you start being so forward? You usually can't go more than three minutes without stammering around me…Especially when I tease like this." She said, looking in his eyes only to realize one of them changed colors.

She gasped and pushed back from the man who claimed to be Seban and ran for the door. The door flew open and she stumbled out, calling out for Father Bamph. She stopped in her tracks and gasped at the body lying in a curled position with vines sticking in and out of the body. It was father Bamph and he was in no shape to help himself let alone anyone else. She ran by and headed for the exit with great haste, stopping only to pull the door open. Outside she felt her body stop and sink into the ground. She panicked and tried to escape, but the hole only pulled her further in.

Seban walked from behind her, laughing all while he did so. He walked around and knelt down in front of her before waving his hand in front of his face. It changed along with his body type and clothing, revealing Sho's normal get up.

"Hello there love, why'd you stop our little plans? You seemed to be pretty worked up hehe, looks like you could use some dick eh?" Sho asked while grabbing her face and turning it towards him. "Don't worry though, we're still going to have some fun."

She opened her mouth to scream, but a jarring hit to the base of her neck caused her to black out in an instant. Her head tilted to the side and Sho stood up and whistled a specific tune aloud. Yumi came from the alley way and opened a portal, allowing Sho to life Elajia from her earthly tomb and move her into to portal. He stood and looked at Yumi.

"You might want to stay here and enjoy the festival, you don't want to be around the next phase lady, trust me hehe." He chuckled before jumping into the portal.

Yumi watched him take her, already having a clear view in her head as to what was coming. She could only gulp hard and walk away slowly into the main parts of the city. She stopped at one of the stalls and picked out an outfit to wear during her stay. She knew that Kuroi would be arriving soon, so she wanted to enjoy at least a little bit of the festival.

Inside one of the many changing stalls, she quickly jumped into her loose fitting summer outfit and looked around at the smiling faces. She felt conflicted seeing as she was a woman of the church and was now helping the most wanted man in Rune Midgard. With a heavy heart and a sigh she sat on a bench and just enjoyed the peaceful view.

A small troupe of people passed by her, causing her to sit up and stare. It was the royal guards who were in charge of watching Alan and Elena who were in the center of the troupe. They kept close proximity to the royal kin who carried bags filled with various things given to them by the stall owners. Yumi suddenly felt a sharp coldness run through her body. She felt her breath short and knew exactly what it was. She didn't even have to turn to see Kuroi out the corner of her eye. Everything seemed to slow down as she watched him approach the guards with his fist balled up.

"Aw come on Alan! We're going to miss the play! Will you pick up your feet!" Elena yelled to Alan who was grabbing a bite to eat at one of the stalls with some of the guards beside him.

"Just a minute! Goodness, it doesn't even start for another hour!" He yelled back while biting into a meat filled bun that assaulted his tongue with flavor. "Oh that's good!"

"So what!? I want a good seat! Move it!" She yelled back to him while stomping her sandaled foot to the ground.

As Kuroi approached, each step he took seemed like hours to Yumi as her mind raced around what was about to happen. He waited until he was closer to the princess to summon his spirit spheres. The guards reacted immediately, drawing their swords and spears. The spheres vanished around Kuroi as lightning took their place. Yumi began to breathe harder as her vision grew blurry from the tears forming, she didn't want this to happen, but she had no choice but to watch.

One of the guards ran for Kuroi, blade drawn and power surging about the blade. He swung, but Kuroi was nowhere to be found. The guards picked up quick, forming a barrier around the prince and his sister. Kuroi on the other hand put them right where he needed them. He snapped around the people out in the city and positioned himself behind a stall. With pinpoint accuracy he flung multiple spirit spheres into the air and guided them down one by one into the guards until they all fell to the ground. The people began to scatter and get as far away from the area as they possibly could.

In the castle, word had already spread to the king, causing him to storm out of the castle and into the city. Kuroi stepped from behind the stall, the lightning still surging about his body. With five more spheres he dashed forward towards the princess with an intense killing intent around his body. Alan jumped before him, armed with a dagger that he always carried with him. He shot forward, angling the blade for Kuroi's throat but missed when Kuroi snapped around him, keeping his target of the girl in sight. She backed away and tried to get help, but her guards were already taken down around her. Kuroi approached her, grabbed her by the hair and looked her square in the eyes.

"……………..Asura Strike……" He just barely whispered as his fist made contact with her face, each moment completely slowed down for Yumi who was still watching.

All of Kuroi's energy poured into his fist and erupted into her skull, having nothing to stop it from exploding, pieces of her head splattered around the area onto the guards, her brother and onto the ground. Kuroi pulled his smoking fist back and looked down at the ground. His energy collided with her blood, causing it to form kanji in her blood and brain matter on the ground. He turned coldly towards Alan, said nothing and opened a red portal before stepping in and leaving everyone to take in what happened.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the king had been watching at that same moment. He could just stand there, staring at his daughter's body that stood in place without its head. He found his breath short and his chest tightening. He grasped at his robe and fell to one knee trying to yell out for his daughter, but instead met the ground and passed out during his heart attack. Alan fell to his knees immediately, swearing and beating the ground until his fist bled profusely. The guards from the castle ran out into the streets, grabbed the king and formed a blockade around the princess' body that would not move no matter how much they tried to. A strange force held it in place that drained the energy of anyone who entered the area.

Yumi returned back to Rachel after the public was released proceeding the search. She sighed as she walked up to the altar where the flames stood before. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed and she knew it was about to be a lot worst when she spotted Elajia bound and unconscious with bruises, blood and semen covering her body. Yumi's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped and fell backwards down the stairs into the mud below. She recovered and looked up at Sho with wide teary eyes.

"So…How was the festival?" He asked while biting into a large taffy like candy he'd gotten from the festival.

"Y-Y-You raped her?!" Yumi asked in surprise.

"Come on now, you knew what was going to happen to a smokin' hot piece of meat like that. Now that it's done, I'm going to enact the last part of this plan right about now." He said, looking at the altar.

A red light shined bright for a moment then died down. Yumi stood and ran towards to find Elajia's body gone. She looked back to Sho, still wide eyed which now began to mist over with tears.

"Where is she!?" She screamed, feeling supreme hate well up in her body.

"She's being taken back to Prontera where they can find her with a little gift from us all. I wonder if she'll have a kid hehe." He said without any form of care while eating the candy still.

"How could you!? HOW!? This is not what I feel is right! Everything I've been taught is being tested with you! I don't like this feeling Sho!" Yumi yelled as she started towards him.

Sho stopped eating and stared her down with eyes as dark as chaos' themselves. He dropped the candy and made his way towards her, tilting his head a bit.

"Excuse me? Did you question my method?" He asked, putting one hand in his pocket.

"How is any of this going to benefit in your plan!? HUH!? Tell me! This is all pointless violence and then…then…you raped a man's fiancée!! Two days before his wedding even!" She shouted, unable to hold back the tears.

Sho approached her, grabbed her by her hair and flung her to the side of the altar, causing her head to bleed. He stood over her body and held his blade to her throat.

"I will not tolerate this nonsense from you Yumi, nor will I allow you to set me back! Do you understand me?!" He demanded to know, pressing his knife into her skin enough to draw blood.

"Hmm, what's going on here?" Salamander's voice sounded as he came from the main city with Jinsei.

Sho turned to them, looked at Yumi and grinned. He released her and looked at his men.

"Seems someone has a problem at what The Advents are doing. She feels she's betraying her holy father by assisting us." He turned to her. "Well answer me this Yumi, if your holy father were truly there, would he allow such things to happen like this? Why doesn't he stop me hmm?"

She was unable to answer. She tried to form words, but they were forced back down by the harsh truth of Sho's words. She looked up and him, but was spit on by her leader.

"I hope you aren't hoping that this is going to blow over…You challenged me directly and for this, you will be made an example out of." Sho warned as he snapped his fingers.

Subtle movements went off around the area as the assassin's guild arrived around him from seemingly nowhere. Her eyes were even wider, knowing she was next for their sick pleasure. She tried to scramble to her feet, but fell backwards when she ran into the body of Kuroi who snapped in her way after his swift delivery. He pushed her back down to the ground, allowing the guild to close in on her. Yumi screamed and kicked, anything she could to try to be released, but they were too strong. One of the guillotine crosses poisoned the tip of a small needle and poked her in the throat, effectively cutting her holy abilities off. Sho snapped his fingers again while walking towards them. They held onto her body, displaying her to Sho.

"S-Sho! Don't do this! Please! I beg you!" She screamed with her eyes closed tight to try and wish it all away.

"Tell me boys, which one is going first?" Sho asked his men behind him.

Salamander licked his bottom lip and walked up rubbing his hands.

"Weeeelll Since you're offering boss Ohohoho!!" He laughed while walking towards Yumi.

"Salamander! No! You can't!!" She screamed, still resisting.

"Oh? Why not? You got yourself into this mess, might as well have a little fun." He said with light chuckles as his hand traced around her breast through her clothes.

"N-No! I only joined for you!! For you!!...I love you! Don't let them do this! Please!!" She pleaded and cried.

"Love me? Are you serious?" He asked, pulling his hand away.

Sho stepped up with his arms folded and smirked.

"So then Sal, you wanna join her in the hot box then?" He asked.

Salamander looked at Sho then to Yumi. She stopped kicking for a moment and smiled to him, seeing a thin sliver of hope. She nodded to him, hoping he would fight back at this moment for her. Salamander grabbed his stomach and let out a spit filled laugh right in her face.

"BAHAHAHAHAH!! I don't care about you, hell I was waiting for you to screw up so I could experiment on you anyway! You must be crazy to think I have feelings for you. Though, I will enjoy this opportunity at such a fine woman Ohohoh!!" He laughed again.

From behind Sal a small bundle of embers flew into his back, knocking him forward slightly. Everyone turned towards the attack, arming up quickly. Kuroi summoned his spheres, Sho drew his knife, Sal pulled a vial of acid out and nearly all of the assassins drew weapons. Jinsei stood at the end of their gaze with the flames dying down on his hand. Sho lowered his eyes and tossed the blade to his other hand.

"Oh so we have another person to jump ship huh?" Sho asked, planning to take Jinsei down in record time.

"No….I'm going first…I owe her a little bit of dept for getting me locked away…." He said with a confident grin on his face.

The others smirked and made a path for Jinsei, causing Yumi to scream out for her release, but it was of no use. The remainder of the night, every man and some of the women in the assassin's guild took their turn with Yumi, taking her innocence away from her in a single night. Even her beloved Salamander took great pleasure in hearing her cries for help while they passed her around until day break where they hauled her into one of Kuroi's portals and tossed her in with a note to be found in Prontera.

Sho sat at the altar with the most satisfied look upon his face. He twirled the blade between his dirty fingers while looking at the sun rise. Today he would go to Prontera, knock on the door and graciously put his boot into King Tristram's ass.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Return of the chaos

The sun cracked through the darkness, gracing Prontera with its warm kiss. The second day of the festival was today or at least it would be had Sho not interrupted with his plan. Out early were a group of workers who got to work trying to remove the princess' body from the public eye. They set up a large blockade equipped with large cloths to block all that was happening behind the veil. The lead worker scratched his head, looking for anyway to move her body without feeling the effects of Kuroi's residual energy.

They could only sit and try various techniques, but to no avail. Nothing they thought could overcome the energy drain they felt upon touching her body. Just as they began to give up, Alverk stepped through the veil, fully suited in armor. With the look on her face it was obvious she hadn't slept at all. Her eyes were low, dark and lack luster and her skin seemed pasty. She looked away slightly, finding the sight unbearable at first.

"I…I have something to help you men." She said almost quietly while holing a bottle of holy water out to one of the workers.

He took the bottle and watched her leave while averting her eyes from the mess Kuroi caused last night. With a shrug he dowsed her bloody corpse in the liquid and stood back as a red aura appeared and dissipated before their eyes. Elena's body fell forwards, but was caught by one of the workers with ease. With the aid of his men, he carried her body from the blockade, through the streets and into the castle with cloth over her body to avoid prying eyes. As they entered the castle, a professor and wizard entered the blockade and began cleaning the blood from the ground with a combination of deluge and water ball.

Even with the festival falling apart to some degree, some kids were out and about enjoying themselves the best they could.

"Come on Terie! Catch up!" A child called out to his sister as he dashed around the corner leading towards the knight barracks.

"Waaait! Keegan! Come back!" She shouted back to her older brother, trying to keep up with her short legs.

Keegan laughed and picked up speed, trying to outdo his younger sibling. Just when he turned to check the distance between the two, he tripped over something and landed square on his face with a short slide to follow. He sat up and held his face while releasing a wail that could be heard by his sister even with the distance between then. She stopped before reaching his tripping factor and gasped when she realized it was a half naked woman; Yumi, who lay on the ground. She balled her fist up, closed her eyes and screamed with all she had, drawing the attention of the guards and Alverk who was nearby.

She quickly turned, grabbed her sword from the large sheath on her back and ran towards the sound. The distance seemed to blow by as she hurried, hoping it had nothing to do with Sho, but to her dismay she was wrong. She stopped near the children just as three guards came along after her. She knelt down to check Yumi's body for anything and spotted a note under her. She held it open and began to read in her head.

"By now I'm sure there is a massive amount of hate for me and my crew, I'm almost fairly certain most of you are already contemplating what to do with us once you've captured us. Well I'm going to go ahead and make this incredibly easy for you. The woman laying here is Yumi Tuloria, one of the churches's missing priestesses and she bears The Advent symbol on her as proof of her allegiance to me. She has helped me kill as well as orchestrate many of my plots and unfortunately she had decided to betray me. So I'm giving the royal family a freebie before I turn myself in at five P.M tonight. I can't keep this up unfortunately, it seems that the same disease that has claimed my loved one has also taken its hold on me so I will give up myself. As for The Advents, they will be disbanded, but I will not hand them over. Until then, take the day to reflect on things, think about the chaos I've created just for the king….

Sho"

"This cannot be real…" She said to herself before looking to the children with an assuring smile. "Um, hey, you two need to get out of here. Oh and don't worry about her, she just fell asleep after a party is all. I'm going to go ahead and take her home okay?"

The kids nodded slowly, not really understanding what was going on, but they knew the guards and a Rune knight were there to protect the people. They took off without words, leaving the guards to carry Yumi off to the Castle's prison while Alverk gathered everyone in the conference room.

The royal guests all sat at the table, discussing the note that was found. Edgar had it in his hand, examining the print carefully. He placed the paper gently in front of him, folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"It cannot be true. There is no way after all of this, he is simply giving up." Edgar spoke.

"Maybe his goal was just to cause the king pain like he had caused him." Terra spoke before taking a drink of water from one of the cups on the table.

"You almost sound like you're sympathizing with a criminal Terra." Cortez wrote out. "Maybe you have a thing for the bad boy type."

"Please, keep dreaming. I may be against him, but I can certainly understand where he'd be coming from. How would you feel if you had to watch the one you loved most in the world, die before your eyes because of one man's selfish ambition?" She asked.

"I suppose so, but that by no means warrants him the right to claim the lives of thousands does it?" Edgar asked.

"No! Of course not! I think he and his group should have to pay their crimes, even if he does turn himself in, his comrades should not go free!" Lina blurted from beside Terra.

"I agree…With the king resting, we can't act without his permission." Alverk said, leaning against the book shelf.

The doors flew open, bringing their eyes to the entering king who was being held by his son. They all leapt from their seats to help the king to his chair at the head of the table before showing their concern.

"Sire! Why are you out of bed?! You must return to your rest!" Alverk spoke with utmost worry in her voice.

"No!...Listen here, I have an order. You must not allow Sho to near this city. I do not trust him at all. If he goes through with showing himself, he is to be detained before he reaches the gate. I want a full guard around him. Seban will more than likely be back soon since Alan has alerted him to what has happened to his Elajia, he will more than likely be irate and enraged so I keep your wits about you." The king spoke with short breaths before his son looked to them all.

"In my father's absence I will be taking over for him, I certainly hope you all will understand and accept this." He said, holding his arm around his father as they looked at him with assured faces.

For the time being, they could only wait for Sho to arrive if he was serious. If not, it would be a grand search for him, even if the world would have to be divided, he would be found. Meanwhile on an airship en route to Prontera, Seban stood on deck. His eyes were puffy, signs of tears and his hands were shaking from the overflow of adrenaline, he tried to believe that everything wasn't happening as it was. It was painful for him to think of the things The Advents, Three and The Assassin's Guild had done to his wife. For now he could only wait until he touched down in Prontera.


End file.
